President-elect Donald Trump claimed Wednesday that he, not Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister, decided to pull the plug on Chronister’s nomination to serve as administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Sheriff Chad Chronister withdrew from consideration for DEA Administrator days after being nominated by President Trump.

President-elect Donald Trump (R) said in a social media post that he was the one to withdraw his pick for administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister announced on Tuesday afternoon that he is withdrawing from consideration to head the Drug Enforcement Agency, a position to which President-elect Donald Trump announced he was nominating him on Saturday night.

In 2017, then-Governor Rick Scott appointed Chronister to lead the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, and he has been re-elected three times. “I think he's a great pick,” said Brian Boyd.

At the time, Chronister called it the "honor of a lifetime" and said he was “deeply humbled by this opportunity to serve our nation.” But on Tuesday, Chronister posted on X that he had reconsidered.

Donald Trump’s nominee to run the Drug Enforcement Administration says he’s withdrawing his name from consideration

President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, Chad Chronister, announced Tuesday he has withdrawn his name from consideration.

President-elect Donald Trump has named another Floridian to his cabinet, tapping Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister to be head of the DEA.

Chad Chronister, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, announced Tuesday he is withdrawing his name from consideration, citing the goals he has yet to complete as sheriff of Hillsborough County,