President-elect Donald Trump gave Ron DeSantis a political gift this month when he gave him a seat in the US Senate.
Don’t expect Florida’s governor to open it before Christmas.
One of Trump’s first top choices to fill his Cabinet was Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state as president-elect. stocketc the emerging administration of the state with its political leaders. The nomination will open up Rubio’s seat, quickly fueling speculation about who DeSantis will pick and how the state’s most popular resident, Trump, will fare in the process.
Nearly two weeks after Rubio’s announcement, however, DeSantis’ team is still working through its options and doesn’t plan to show its hand for at least a month, according to five people familiar with the process.
A DeSantis adviser told NBC News that “the governor will conduct a thorough vetting and interview process in December with multiple candidates.” “He is in no rush to make an important decision.”
The governor said he plans to make his choice by ballot early January.
Two schools of thought emerged immediately after Rubio’s election: DeSantis could appoint a placeholder to serve until the terms expire and then run for the Senate in 2026 before the 2028 presidential election, or he could choose someone to serve. long term seat.
The solution appears in this first option. Two sources told NBC News that DeSantis is unlikely to seek the Senate seat in 2026 or re-nominate himself for the seat. DeSantis does not appear ready to run for the Senate and has withdrawn his name from the board for now.
“The governor is not looking for a placeholder and is unlikely to pursue the Senate himself,” said one Florida Republican close to DeSantis’ team.
The next layer of intrigue DeSantis must manage is whether to appease Trump and his political team by appointing Lara Trump, the president-elect’s daughter-in-law and co-chair of the Republican National Committee. Trump himself did not speak directly, but several of his key supporters quickly mentioned Lara after it became clear that Rubio’s seat would remain vacant. Elon Muskwho has been with Trump since the election night.
For her part, Lara Trump did little to quell the rumors.
“If they invite me to serve in another position, it would be my honor,” he said he said Fox News over the weekend. “I haven’t been asked yet, but I would definitely consider it if it was presented to me.”
Trump’s political team’s insistence that DeSantis appoint one of their own has once again opened up the complicated dynamic between the governor and the president-elect. The two men had a known loyalty after Trump endorsed DeSantis for governor in 2018, but that has since soured after DeSantis unsuccessfully challenged Trump for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
However, Trump has become actively involved in Florida politics, and his presence is now complicating many decisions that would normally seem tougher.
“Lara Trump or Lara Trump is the biggest question for him at this point,” said the Florida Republican and longtime ally of DeSantis. “It’s clear that Trump and his world want Lara Trump, but she wants it [DeSantis] do it Will he cave? It is not clear.”
The lens through which DeSantis views the decision is relatively simple: 2028.
If DeSantis gives Trump his choice, a violent retreat from the MAGA base may be less likely during another potential presidential election. Rather, if he wins the president-elect, it could signal an erosion of the public truce the two sides have forged since DeSantis dropped out of the presidential race in January.
“It colors everything,” said a Florida operative close to DeSantis. “If you believe it’s important not to cross Trump, and I think most people do, then you have to look at it all that way.”
If DeSantis Lara decides not to pick Trump, the current short list of potential candidates at the state level is growing, including Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, Attorney General Ashley Moody, former Speaker of the House Paul Renner, and Secretary of State Cord Byrd. , former House Speaker Jose Oliva and DeSantis chief of staff James Uthmeier.
Each have been staunch allies of DeSantis and are prominent Florida Republicans who could pass the interview and vetting process. Moody, in particular, has sparked speculation because Uthmeier, an attorney and DeSantis’ top political and policy adviser, has expressed interest in becoming Florida’s attorney general.
“He’s been pretty open about it, and it’s not a very well-kept secret,” the longtime Florida lobbyist said of Uthmeier. “I have no idea if he’ll get there, but it’s clear where he wants to go.”
Uthmeier did not respond to a request for comment on the attorney general’s perspective for this article.
DeSantis is not considering running any Republicans from Florida’s congressional delegation because of the thin House majority — made even smaller by Trump’s selection of lawmakers for his administration, including Rep. Mike Waltz of Florida to serve as national security adviser. . He also appointed former Florida representative Matt Gaetz as attorney general; Gaetz since then withdrew his name considering and said won’t come back to Congress next year.
“I don’t think DeSantis wants to influence the majority of Republicans,” said a DeSantis ally familiar with his thinking. “If there is [Florida] He is considered a member of Congress, I don’t know who he is.”