Chad Chronister, the nominee chosen by Donald Trump to lead the DEA, decides to remove himself from the selection process.

In New York, Chad Chronister, Donald Trump’s nominee for the Drug Enforcement Administration, announced on Tuesday that he was retracting his nomination. He is the second individual chosen by the president-elect to withdraw shortly after being nominated for a position that requires Senate approval.

NOTE: The video is from a previous report.

As the top law enforcement official in Hillsborough County, Florida, Sheriff Chronister stated in a post on X that he was stepping back from the opportunity, referring to it as “the honor of a lifetime.”

Chronister explained, “After recognizing the weight of this incredibly important responsibility over the past few days, I have decided that I must withdraw from the running with respect.” He provided no further details, and Trump’s transition team did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Chronister follows former Republican congressman Matt Gaetz, Trump’s first pick to serve as attorney general, in withdrawing his name for a post in the administration. Gaetz withdrew following scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer.

Trump’s pick of Chronister for the DEA job drew backlash from conservatives, who raised concerns over his actions during the COVID-19 pandemic and his saying that his office “does not engage in federal immigration enforcement activities.”

In March 2020, Chronister arrested the pastor of a megachurch who held services with hundreds of people and violated a safer-at-home order in place aimed at limiting the spread of the Covid virus.

“Shame on this pastor, their legal staff and the leaders of this staff for forcing us to do our job. That’s not what we wanted to do during a declared state of emergency,” Chronister said at the time. “We are hopeful that this will be a wakeup call.”

U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky, was among those airing public complaints, saying Chronister should be “disqualified” for the arrest.

Others flagged comments Chronister made in a video about Florida’s immigration laws that he released in 2023 that circulated again online after Trump named him last weekend.

In the video, Chronister praised the “rich diversity” of his community and called it “a place where people from all walks of life come together.”

He said it was important to note his office “does not engage in federal immigration enforcement activities. We do not target individuals based on their immigration status. That’s the authority of federal agencies.”

Trump has made a sweeping crackdown on immigration a central focus of his campaign and his aims for his coming administration.

___

Associated Press writer Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida contributed to this report.