Updated Dec 4, 2024 - Politics & Policy

Scoop: Rep. D'Esposito lobbies to be Trump's DEA chief

Andrew Solender

Rep. D'Esposito, wearing a blue suit and holding an American flag outside. — Rep. Anthony D'Esposito outside the U.S. Capitol on May 16, 2024. Photo: Kent Nishimura/Getty Images.

Rep. Anthony D'Esposito (R-N.Y.) is lobbying to become President-elect Trump's nominee to lead the Drug Enforcement Agency after losing his reelection bid last month, sources familiar with the matter tell Axios.

Why it matters: Trump's initial pick for the role, Chad Chronister, withdrew from consideration Tuesday under entrenched opposition from the right.

What we're hearing: D'Esposito, a former New York Police Department detective, is working to consolidate support from regional law enforcement organizations to boost his bid for the job, one of the sources said.

The Nassau County Detectives Association publicly pitched him for the role Wednesday in a post on X.

Zoom in: D'Esposito was first elected to Congress in 2022 to a Long Island district that had voted for President Biden two years earlier.

He was defeated in his bid for a second term this year by Democrat Laura Gillen in one of the most closely watched races in the country.

Zoom out: Trump has shown a penchant for appointing current and former House members to his administration.

He has tapped Reps. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) for Labor secretary, Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) for national security advisor and Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) for U.N. ambassador.
He has also picked former Reps. Sean Duffy (R-Wisc.), Doug Collins (R-Ga.), Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), Dave Weldon (R-Fla.) and Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) for senior roles.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.

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Scoop: Rep. D'Esposito lobbies to be Trump's DEA chief

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