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.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. - Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister announced Tuesday evening that he was withdrawing his nomination to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Over the weekend, president-elect Donald Trump shared plans to tap Hillsborough County’s twice-elected sheriff to lead the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Shortly afterwards, Chronister called the nomination the “honor of a lifetime” and said he was “deeply humbled by this opportunity to serve our nation.”

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 (

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

Chronister published a statement on social media Tuesday saying that he would not pursue the position, although he called it “the honor of a lifetime.”

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister has withdrawn himself from consideration for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator position. He wa

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.

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said he's withdrawing from consideration after President-elect Donald Trump nominated him to head the Drug Enforcement Administration.

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.