“He didn’t pull out; I pulled him out because I did not like what he said to my pastors and other supporters,” said Trump on Truth Social.
President-elect Donald Trump has withdrawn his nomination to lead the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration due to how the nominee handled a situation involving a pastor and his wife during the COVID-19 pandemic. The nominee, Sheriff Chad Chronister, Hillsborough County, Florida announced his decision to step down Tuesday night.
“Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration,” Chronister wrote on X, not explaining in detail what his reasoning was for stepping down.
To have been nominated by President-Elect @realDonaldTrump to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration is the honor of a lifetime. Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully… pic.twitter.com/bvNF8m9Bh4
— Chad Chronister (@ChadChronister) December 3, 2024
Trump, however, later clarified that it was his decision to pull the Florida sheriff as his DEA pick.
“He didn’t pull out; I pulled him out because I did not like what he said to my pastors and other supporters,” said Trump on Truth Social.
Several unnamed sources told the New York Post that Thursday, Trump’s “forceful hand” led to the removal of Chronister’s nomination due to how he handled a situation involving church services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Arresting pastors for trying to keep their churches open is a non-negotiable with the president, and that’s what the sheriff was accused of, and the president did not like that,” one source told the Post.
Chronister’s nomination initially drew backlash from Trump supporters after he arrested Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne of River at Tampa Bay Church in March 2020 for holding in-person services despite the state’s COVID-19 restrictions on worship gatherings.
At the time, Howard-Browne was outspoken against the lockdown measures and continued to hold large gatherings at his church regardless of the statewide measures. Although Howard-Browne was charged with unlawful violations of public health emergency rules, the charges were later dropped.
“Shame on this pastor, their legal staff, and the leaders of this staff for forcing us to do our job,” Chronister said at the time. “That’s not what we wanted to do during a declared state of emergency. We are hopeful that this will be a wake-up call.”
In July 2017, Howard-Browne and his wife were among the evangelical leaders who prayed for Trump at the White House during this first term.
“Yesterday I was asked by Pastor Paula White-Cain to pray over our 45th President — what a humbling moment standing in the Oval Office — laying hands and praying for our President,” he wrote.
His post included a photo of him standing over Trump and praying for him alongside other faith leaders.
White-Cain, who has referred to herself as Trump’s “personal pastor,” had invited Howard-Browne and his wife to pray for the president. She also apparently led Trump to Christ, according to a 2016 interview she had with The Christian Post.
Chronister’s removal marks the second time a Trump nominee has stepped down from serving in the upcoming administration. In November, Matt Gaetz, Trump’s first pick to serve as attorney general, withdrew his name following backlash over a federal sex trafficking investigation.