'I pulled him out because...': Trump slams WSJ for claiming his DEA pick withdrew nomination

President-elect Donald Trump took to Truth Social late Wednesday (December 4) to refute a Wall Street Journal report claiming his nominee for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) head had withdrawn himself from consideration.

In a fiery post, Trump criticised the publication, calling it “obnoxious and unreadable,” and asserted that the decision to remove the nominee, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, was his own.

“Today’s main headline is: ‘Trump’s DEA Pick Pulls Out In Latest Setback.’” He then went on to say, “I pulled him out, because I did not like what he said to my pastors and other supporters.”

Trump’s post comes after media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, reported that Chronister had withdrawn his candidacy amid scrutiny over his actions during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the arrest of a pastor who defied lockdown orders.

The Republican had previously said in a social media post that Chronister “will work with our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to secure the Border, stop the flow of Fentanyl, and other Illegal Drugs, across the Southern Border, and SAVE LIVES.”

“But, more importantly,” he ranted, “what’s my ’latest’ setback??? I just won the Presidency of the United States! They haven’t written a good story about me in YEARS."

The “setback” WSJ was referring to was in the context of ongoing challenges to the president-elect’s attempts to staff his second term’s top positions.

Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defence, is under intense examination due to allegations of sexual misconduct and financial mismanagement. Amid this, the transition team has reportedly been considering Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the position.

The nomination of Matt Gaetz for Attorney General also faced significant opposition due to past allegations of sexual misconduct, leading to his withdrawal from consideration.

These nomination hurdles have sparked concerns within the Republican Party about the administration’s vetting processes and the potential impact on advancing its agenda.

With inputs from agencies