Trump's pick to lead DEA withdraws, saying he will remain a sheriff

President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration has withdrawn his name from consideration.

Chad Chronister, who currently serves as the sheriff in Hillsborough County, Florida, said there was "more work to be done" for those living in the county that contains the city of Tampa.

"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," he wrote in a statement posted on X.

"I sincerely appreciate the nomination, outpouring of support by the American people, and look forward to continuing my service as Sheriff of Hillsborough County," he added.

Chronister has spent more than three decades working in law local enforcement, but he has no experience in the types of international operations overseen by the DEA.

DEA agents told the New York Times that they were surprised when the sheriff was announced as Trump's pick, and that they had never heard of him.

The DEA is responsible for enforcing drug laws and regulations for controlled substances. It operates 91 foreign offices in 68 countries.

In announcing his withdrawal, Chronister described Trump's nomination as "the honour of a lifetime".

Trump tapped Chronister to lead the administration only three days ago, writing in a Truth Social post that the Florida sheriff would help secure the border and reduce the trafficking of illegal drugs.

Conservative supporters of Trump had come out against Chronister, pointing to his enforcement of pandemic-era rules meant to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

In March 2020, he arrested the pastor of a Florida mega church for holding religious services in violation of lockdown rules.

Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie said he had "disqualified" himself for the role after arresting the pastor. On Fox News, Texas Congressman Chip Roy called Chronister an "authoritarian" and conservative commentator Liz Wheeler called him a "Covid tyrant".

Some of Trump's allies also took issue with a video from 2023 in which the sheriff boasted about the "rich diversity" of his community, and said that his office refused to collaborate with federal immigration authorities.

He said in the video that his department "does not engage in federal immigration enforcement activities," according to the Associated Press news agency.

"We do not target individuals based on their immigration status," Chronister said. "That’s the authority of federal agencies.”

Trump has vowed to carry out a strict crackdown on illegal immigration, and has criticised local police jurisdictions that do not comply with federal immigration orders. These communities are sometimes known as "sanctuary cities".

Chronister also has a colourful family background. His son served a prison sentence for his role in a knife fight and later wrote a rap song about it titled "Slash Yo Face".

His wife is the daughter of a Trump donor and the former owner of the San Francisco 49ers NFL team.

His father-in-law, Edward J DeBartolo Jr, received a presidential pardon from Trump in 2020 that wiped clear his 1998 felony bribery conviction.

Chronister is the second Trump nominee to withdraw from consideration for a role in the president-elect's second administration.

Also from Florida, former Congressman Matt Gaetz announced he would withdraw his name from attorney general consideration - the top law enforcement officer in the US.

His nomination came as lawmakers debated whether to release an investigatory report on sexual misconduct and illicit drug use allegations made against him. Gaetz repeatedly denied the claims.

The Florida lawmaker cited the controversy surrounding his nomination "unfairly becoming a distraction" as the reason behind his withdrawal.