Lara Trump: Donald Trump wants his daughter-in-law in the Senate, Ron DeSantis faces massive choice

President-elect Donald Trump has communicated to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis that he wants his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, to become the Sunshine State’s next senator - but it’s far from clear that Mr DeSantis will acquiesce and appoint her, people familiar with the matter said.

Lara Trump’s interest in replacing Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) - who is set to become secretary of state - complicates an already fraught relationship between Mr Trump and Mr DeSantis, who waged harsh campaigns against each other in the GOP presidential primary.

Mr DeSantis is tasked with filling Mr Rubio’s seat and could boost his standing with the president-elect by appointing Lara Trump, who announced this week she will step down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee.

Mr DeSantis is seriously considering Lara Trump and cares about the president-elect’s view, according to one person familiar with his thinking who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private deliberations.

But the person believes Mr DeSantis is more likely to pick someone who has held public office in Florida and said other contenders include the state’s attorney general, Ashley Moody, and former statehouse speaker Jose Oliva.

“The governor has a choice,” said Florida state lawmaker Randy Fine, a Mr Trump ally who recently received the president-elect’s endorsement to run for Congress.

“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.”

Two people familiar with Lara Trump’s thinking said this week that she wants the job. A spokesperson for her did not respond to a request for comment.

“It is something I would seriously consider,” she told the Associated Press in a recent interview.

A spokesperson for Mr DeSantis declined to comment. The Trump transition team did not respond to requests for comment.

Mr DeSantis himself appears uninterested in the Senate, several people familiar with his thinking said, despite the opening created by Rubio and some speculation this fall that he could appoint a “placeholder” candidate - perhaps his chief of staff - who would clear the way for him in 2026.

Mr Trump, meanwhile, has privately floated Mr DeSantis as an option to replace his controversial pick for defence secretary, Pete Hegseth. But Hegseth’s prospects have improved since Mr Trump discussed the Defence Department role with Mr DeSantis last week.

Mr Trump publicly reaffirmed his support for Mr Hegseth, and a sceptical Republican senator - Iowa’s Joni Ernst - signalled new openness to his potential nomination after Trump supporters pressured her.

Mr Trump, Mr DeSantis and Mr Hegseth are all expected to attend the Army-Navy football game in Maryland on Saturday.

Mr Rubio’s successor in the Senate would serve for two years until the next election in 2026. Mr DeSantis has said he will probably pick a replacement by early January. In the meantime, Lara Trump has made her interest clear.

Lara Trump is married to Trump’s son Eric and was hand-picked by Mr Trump to co-lead the RNC this election cycle.

The Florida Senate seat would be her first venture into public office.

A North Carolina native, she batted down speculation that she might run for Senate there in 2022.

“I am saying no for now, not no forever,” she said at the North Carolina GOP convention in 2021, explaining that having young children would make a Senate bid difficult.

Trump allies began pushing Lara Trump for Mr Rubio’s Senate seat early on. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Florida) called on Mr DeSantis to appoint Lara Trump before the president-elect had publicly announced Mr Rubio as his pick for the State Department.

Senator Rick Scott (R-Florida) called her “the right person” for the job last month. Republicans beyond Florida weighed in: Sen. Katie Boyd Britt (R-Alabama) said Lara Trump would be “a tremendous pick.”

Mr DeSantis has his own future to consider, too.

He is interested in serving as defence secretary and would likely be open to other high-level positions in the Trump administration down the line, a second person familiar with his thinking said.

It’s possible that he will run for president again in 2028, the person added, but he’s unlikely to challenge a well-positioned JD Vance and has mentioned that - if he left public office - he would enjoy having his own TV show or radio show discussing politics.

Some Mr DeSantis allies viewed the Defence Department as an ideal next step for the governor and one that would keep his political options open.

“His ability to get his agenda done for the good of Florida has been unmatched, and I think by joining Trump’s Cabinet and putting himself in the spotlight … that could really help him long term, both in 2028 and just nationally in general,” said Robert Salvador, a Mr DeSantis donor who runs a tech company.

But Republicans who supported Mr DeSantis’s presidential bid are cognizant that, for now, Mr Vance is Mr Trump’s heir apparent and has strong backing from the Trump family.

“In my experience, politicians - especially these days - have a very short shelf life to run for president,” said a GOP fundraiser who supported Mr DeSantis in 2024 and spoke on the condition of anonymity to give a candid assessment.

“Marco Rubio’s time was 2016. Ron DeSantis’s time was 2024.”

© 2024 , The Washington Post