Trump's transition aimed to display strength. What went wrong?
In the past 24 hours, he has experienced a loss with one pick and is close to losing another.
TroibNews 
In the past 24 hours, Donald Trump has encountered a setback with the withdrawal of his nominee for the Drug Enforcement Administration. Furthermore, his choice for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, is having difficulty securing support from Senate Republicans. As a result, the president-elect is even contemplating selecting his former rival, Governor Ron DeSantis, to lead the Pentagon.
These changes in his yet-to-be-established administration follow former Representative Matt Gaetz's withdrawal from consideration for attorney general, compounding questions about Trump's influence over the Republican Party and whether party members would acquiesce to all his demands. This situation also raises doubts about the ability of his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, to streamline Trump's transition and White House operations.
On Tuesday, Chad Chronister, Trump's nominee for DEA administrator, unexpectedly withdrew from consideration just days after his appointment was announced. In a post on X, he mentioned that he made this decision "as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in," but did not provide a specific reason. As a county sheriff in Florida, Chronister faced criticism from some conservatives regarding his actions during the Covid-19 pandemic, although he was not regarded as one of Trump’s more controversial picks.
Chronister's withdrawal marks the second departure from Trump's nominations in two weeks, following Gaetz’s tumultuous candidacy, which created turmoil in Capitol Hill due to a sealed ethics report concerning the former Florida congressman. Ultimately, Trump opted to replace Gaetz with former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Now, troubling reports about Hegseth, including allegations of sexual assault and alcohol abuse, could further hinder his confirmation by the Senate. Consequently, Trump is contemplating replacing the former Fox host with DeSantis, an old adversary of both Trump and Wiles.
Hegseth visited Capitol Hill on Wednesday to engage with Senate Republicans, including incoming leadership and Senator Joni Ernst, seen as a crucial swing vote for his nomination. He expressed to reporters that he remains in contention and mentioned Trump’s encouragement to “keep fighting.”
“Why would I back down? I’ve always been a fighter,” Hegseth stated.
However, skepticism exists among some GOP Senators. "We absolutely cannot have a Secretary of Defense that gets drunk on a regular basis. … I got to know that he's got that problem licked," remarked Senator Kevin Cramer, who is set to meet Hegseth soon.
The Wall Street Journal first reported Trump's consideration of potentially replacing Hegseth with DeSantis. Other names floated by Trump include Ernst, a Senate Armed Services Committee member and sexual assault survivor, and Elbridge Colby, a Trump ally and former Pentagon official.
Opting for DeSantis over Hegseth could be a politically strategic move for Trump; DeSantis, a rising figure in the party, is likely to have far fewer controversies compared to Trump's other nominees. However, this decision would carry a sting for Trump, who had a public feud with DeSantis during the latter's brief GOP primary campaign—a campaign that Wiles is credited with effectively dismantling.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, tensions between Trump and DeSantis escalated, characterized by insults such as “pudding fingers” and “Ron DeSanctimonious,” along with jabs about shoe lifts. Trump viewed DeSantis’ challenge as an act of disloyalty, a trait he particularly loathes.
Since DeSantis exited the race and endorsed Trump, their relationship has started to improve, and promoting a former opponent to a significant role is not unprecedented for the president-elect.
However, Trump’s consideration of DeSantis also indicates that loyalty alone may not suffice for his Cabinet nominees to navigate the Senate confirmation process.
Chronister, a county sheriff with limited experience beyond local law enforcement, was perceived as a peculiar choice for leading the DEA, yet was considered less controversial than other figures on Trump’s list. Nevertheless, his support for red flag gun laws, actions during the Covid-19 pandemic, and previous donations to Democrats drew some conservative criticism, including from Representative Thomas Massie.
A spokesperson for the Trump transition team did not promptly respond to requests for comment.
Lucas Dupont contributed to this report for TROIB News
These changes in his yet-to-be-established administration follow former Representative Matt Gaetz's withdrawal from consideration for attorney general, compounding questions about Trump's influence over the Republican Party and whether party members would acquiesce to all his demands. This situation also raises doubts about the ability of his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, to streamline Trump's transition and White House operations.
On Tuesday, Chad Chronister, Trump's nominee for DEA administrator, unexpectedly withdrew from consideration just days after his appointment was announced. In a post on X, he mentioned that he made this decision "as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in," but did not provide a specific reason. As a county sheriff in Florida, Chronister faced criticism from some conservatives regarding his actions during the Covid-19 pandemic, although he was not regarded as one of Trump’s more controversial picks.
Chronister's withdrawal marks the second departure from Trump's nominations in two weeks, following Gaetz’s tumultuous candidacy, which created turmoil in Capitol Hill due to a sealed ethics report concerning the former Florida congressman. Ultimately, Trump opted to replace Gaetz with former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Now, troubling reports about Hegseth, including allegations of sexual assault and alcohol abuse, could further hinder his confirmation by the Senate. Consequently, Trump is contemplating replacing the former Fox host with DeSantis, an old adversary of both Trump and Wiles.
Hegseth visited Capitol Hill on Wednesday to engage with Senate Republicans, including incoming leadership and Senator Joni Ernst, seen as a crucial swing vote for his nomination. He expressed to reporters that he remains in contention and mentioned Trump’s encouragement to “keep fighting.”
“Why would I back down? I’ve always been a fighter,” Hegseth stated.
However, skepticism exists among some GOP Senators. "We absolutely cannot have a Secretary of Defense that gets drunk on a regular basis. … I got to know that he's got that problem licked," remarked Senator Kevin Cramer, who is set to meet Hegseth soon.
The Wall Street Journal first reported Trump's consideration of potentially replacing Hegseth with DeSantis. Other names floated by Trump include Ernst, a Senate Armed Services Committee member and sexual assault survivor, and Elbridge Colby, a Trump ally and former Pentagon official.
Opting for DeSantis over Hegseth could be a politically strategic move for Trump; DeSantis, a rising figure in the party, is likely to have far fewer controversies compared to Trump's other nominees. However, this decision would carry a sting for Trump, who had a public feud with DeSantis during the latter's brief GOP primary campaign—a campaign that Wiles is credited with effectively dismantling.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, tensions between Trump and DeSantis escalated, characterized by insults such as “pudding fingers” and “Ron DeSanctimonious,” along with jabs about shoe lifts. Trump viewed DeSantis’ challenge as an act of disloyalty, a trait he particularly loathes.
Since DeSantis exited the race and endorsed Trump, their relationship has started to improve, and promoting a former opponent to a significant role is not unprecedented for the president-elect.
However, Trump’s consideration of DeSantis also indicates that loyalty alone may not suffice for his Cabinet nominees to navigate the Senate confirmation process.
Chronister, a county sheriff with limited experience beyond local law enforcement, was perceived as a peculiar choice for leading the DEA, yet was considered less controversial than other figures on Trump’s list. Nevertheless, his support for red flag gun laws, actions during the Covid-19 pandemic, and previous donations to Democrats drew some conservative criticism, including from Representative Thomas Massie.
A spokesperson for the Trump transition team did not promptly respond to requests for comment.
Lucas Dupont contributed to this report for TROIB News
