President-elect Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday to criticise The Wall Street Journal for covering his transition team’s travails.
The Journal reported the previous evening that Trump’s choice to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, Sheriff Chad Chronister of Hillsborough County, Florida, had dropped out of the running.
The paper also talked about the problems with Trump’s choice for defence secretary, Pete Hegseth. His future is uncertain because he is facing many accusations of wrongdoing.
“It is getting harder and harder to read The Wall Street Journal.” The main news story today is called “Trump’s DEA Pick Pulls Out in Latest Setback.” Trump wrote.
“With everything going on in the world, this is their number one story of the day,” he complained. He then criticised how the Journal described Chronister’s decision to step down, which Chronister announced on social media Tuesday.
“As the weight of this very important responsibility hit me, I have come to the respectful conclusion that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration,” Chronister wrote.
Chronister “did not pull out,” Trump said. “I pulled him out because I did not like what he said to my pastors and other supporters.” He was likely talking about how the Hillsborough County sheriff arrested and criticised a Florida megachurch pastor in 2020 for breaking Covid-19 lockdown orders. CNN says that because of that event, “the MAGA corner of the Republican Party” turned against his choice this week.
Trump also scolded the Journal for calling the event his “latest” challenge. “Why is that, though? What is my “latest” setback?” Trump wrote. “I just became President of the United States!” “It is been YEARS since they wrote a good story about me.”
Of course, the Journal’s choice of words is clear if you read the report in question or any of the other news stories that have come out since Trump’s victory earlier this month.
The Journal article not only talks about Chronister’s resignation, but it also talks about the many other scandals involving “some of Trump’s high-profile picks.”
For example, Hegseth is being questioned about sexual misconduct claims, Matt Gaetz quit his job as attorney general “under pressure in the midst of sexual misconduct and drug use claims,” and lawmakers are questioning Trump’s other choices, such as Kash Patel, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Tulsi Gabbard.
