Trump says drug czar nominee is 'withdrawing his name'

Trump says drug czar nominee is ‘withdrawing his name’

Published on: October 17, 2017

By David Martosko, Us Political Editor For Dailymail.com

Published: 13:50 BST, 17 October 2017 | Updated: 13:51 BST, 17 October 2017

The man Donald Trump picked to run drug control policy in the White House won’t be taking the job, the president said Tuesday.

‘Rep. Tom Marino has informed me that he is withdrawing his name from consideration as drug czar. Tom is a fine man and a great Congressman!’ he tweeted.

Trump said Monday during a Rose Garden press conference that he might cancel Marino’s nomination, following reports that the lawmaker played a key role in passing a bill weakening federal authority to stop companies from distributing opioids.

Republican Rep. Thomas Marino of Pennsylvania won't be the White House drug czar, following a report that he played a key role in passing a bill weakening the Drug Enforcement Administration's authority to stop companies from distributing opioids

Republican Rep. Thomas Marino of Pennsylvania won’t be the White House drug czar, following a report that he played a key role in passing a bill weakening the Drug Enforcement Administration’s authority to stop companies from distributing opioids

President Donald Trump promised Monday that he would look into the report, and Marino's nomination has been canceled less than a day later

President Donald Trump promised Monday that he would look into the report, and Marino’s nomination has been canceled less than a day later

The president told reporters that he would look at a report by The Washington Post and CBS News ‘very closely,’ adding: ‘If I think it’s 1 per cent negative to doing what we want to do, I will make a change.’

The Post and ’60 Minutes’ reported Sunday on the 2016 law, which weakened the Drug Enforcement Administration’s authority to stop companies from distributing opioids.

Marino, in his fourth term representing northeastern Pennsylvania, played a key role in the law’s quick and quiet passage.

Trump called Marino ‘a good man’ on Monday but said, somewhat ominously, “We’re going to be looking into Tom.”