President-elect Donald Trump announced that he personally withdrew his nomination of Florida Sheriff Chad Chronister to head the US Drug Enforcement Administration, over comments made to his spiritual advisors and supporters.

The Christian Post reported how Chronister, the Hillsborough County Sheriff, initially announced his decision to step down on social media, calling the nomination “the honour of a lifetime.”

However, he cited the gravity of the role as his reason for withdrawing.

Trump later stated via Truth Social that he was the one who removed Chronister from consideration.

“He didn’t pull out, I pulled him out because I did not like what he said to my pastors and other supporters,” Trump wrote.

The move has drawn attention, with reports suggesting that Trump’s decision was influenced by Chronister’s handling of a 2020 incident involving Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne, who faced arrest for defying COVID-19 restrictions to hold in-person church services.

At the time, Chronister defended the arrest as necessary for public safety, though the charges were eventually dropped.

Howard-Browne, an evangelical leader and Trump supporter, had previously prayed over Trump at the White House in 2017.

His arrest during the pandemic prompted backlash from Trump’s base, with many viewing it as an infringement on religious freedoms.

Chronister’s withdrawal marks the second high-profile nomination reversal for Trump’s incoming administration.

Previously, Congressman Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration for attorney general amid ongoing federal investigations.