President-elect Trump's pick to run the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Chad Chronister, said Tuesday he's withdrawing his name from consideration for the role. The big picture: Some conservatives criticized the nomination three days ago because of the Tampa-area sheriff's decision to enforce COVID lockdowns during the pandemic.

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

On Sunday, Trump announced that he had selected Chronister to head the DEA and Chronister responded that the nomination was “the honor of a lifetime.” By Tuesday, Chronister maintained that his nomination was an honor but said he was removing himself from consideration in favor of continuing work with the Sheriff’s office.