Trump contradicts Chad Chronister; insists he ‘pulled’ him from DEA over pastor’s arrest

Donald Trump is insisting that Chad Chronister didn’t withdraw as a candidate for head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, but rather that he himself “pulled” the nomination after learning the Hillsborough County sheriff arrested a pastor for violating the COVID lockdown in 2020.

The episode would appear to validate complaints the president-elect hasn’t fully vetted his nominees. Indeed, Trump’s transition team signed an agreement with the Justice Department on Tuesday, paving the way for FBI background checks on the president-elect’s appointees.

That announcement could placate the senators who’ve called for FBI background checks to evaluate allegations against other Trump picks, like Pete Hegseth at Defense.

But a simple Google search might have helped the Trump team discover that Chronister had ordered the arrest of Rodney Howard-Browne of The River at Tampa Bay Church in March 2020, angering Republicans when his nomination was announced this weekend.

Chronister’s office said at the time that Howard-Brown had “intentionally and repeatedly hosted church services with hundreds of members in attendance, despite knowing he was in violation of orders set in place by the President, the Governor of Florida, the CDC and the Hillsborough County Emergency Policy Group.”

Chronister announced on Tuesday that he was withdrawing from consideration for the position. It was “the honor of a lifetime,” he said, but “as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration.”

He went on to say that there was more work to be done for the citizens of Hillsborough County “and a lot of initiatives I am committed to fulfilling.”

‘My pastors’

Trump told a different story Wednesday, saying in a post on Truth Social that he ordered Chronister to withdraw when the reaction among conservatives regarding “my pastors” reached him.

“The Wall Street Journal is becoming more and more obnoxious and unreadable,” Trump said in a post. “Today’s main headline is: ‘Trump’s DEA Pick Pulls Out In Latest Setback.’ With all that’s happening in the World, this is their Number One story of the day. Besides, he didn’t pull out, I pulled him out, because I did not like what he said to my pastors and other supporters.”

In addition to his arrest of the pastor, Chronister’s appointment raised concerns among some Republicans over his stances on gun safety as well as his previous financial contributions to Democratic candidates for office, including Barack Obama.

A spokesperson for Chronister said the sheriff is sticking with his version.

“Sheriff Chronister stands behind his decision to withdraw from consideration. Right now, his priority, as it has been for the last seven years, remains the mission to protect and serve everyone in Hillsborough County,” said Hillsborough County Sheriff Office spokesperson Hannah Oliveto.