Trump Plays Coy With DeSantis Over Nepo Job for Lara Trump
Donald Trump indicated Monday he wasn’t seeking any family favors from his one-time nemesis he nicknamed “Ron DeSanctimonious.”
The president-elect said he doesn’t expect the Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to appoint his daughter-in-law Lara Trump to the Senate despite having discussed her as a potential pick with DeSantis.
“I don’t. I probably don’t, but I don’t know,” Trump said at Mar-a-Lago when asked if he thought his former foe would tap her to fill Sen. Marco Rubio’s spot. “Ron is doing a good job. It is his choice, nothing to do with me.”
Trump reportedly has made it known to DeSantis that he’d like him to appoint Lara as the Sunshine State’s next senator, an option the Florida governor is seriously considering, according to reports. All of which puts DeSantis at a crossroads as Trump regains tremendous power over the political landscape.
“The governor has a choice,” Florida state lawmaker Randy Fine, a Trump ally who recently received the president-elect’s blessing to run for Congress, told The Washington Post. “Does he want to rebuild his relationship with Trump and give the president what he’s asking for, or does he want to move in a different direction? I think there’s a real opportunity for him if he chooses to support the president’s choice.”
Several of the president-elect’s biggest allies began championing Lara’s ascent to the Senate shortly after Trump tapped Rubio to serve as his secretary of State. A Florida resident and the former co-chair of the Republican National Committee, she has previously expressed interest in the congressional role.
“It is something I would seriously consider,” she told the Associated Press. “If I’m being completely transparent, I don’t know exactly what that would look like. And I certainly want to get all of the information possible if that is something that’s real for me. But yeah, I would 100 percent consider it.”
Lara, who is married to Eric Trump, stepped down from her leading role at the RNC last week, prompting a flurry of speculation about her next steps.
On Monday, however, Trump revealed that his “unbelievable” and “incredible,” daughter-in-law was also being pursued for various television gigs.
Whoever
Those close to DeSantis reportedly say he’s more likely to choose a candidate who has previously held public office in Florida, an accomplishment not included on Lara’s resume.
The governor announced in November his office was vetting candidates on social media, with a decision to be “likely made by the beginning of January.”
“Florida deserves a Senator who will help President Trump deliver on his election mandate, be strong on immigration and border security, take on the entrenched bureaucracy and administrative state, reverse the nation’s fiscal decline, be animated by conservative principles, and has a proven record of results,” his post on X read.
Senator Marco Rubio is expected to resign from the Senate to assume duties as Secretary of State when the Trump administration takes power on January 20th, creating a vacancy roughly two months from today.
We have already received strong interest from several possible…— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) November 18, 2024
According to Politico, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Núñez, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, and former Florida House Speaker José Oliva are among those said to be in contention.
Whoever DeSantis chooses would serve for two years until the next regularly scheduled election in 2026, at which point the seat would be up for grabs again.
