President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly pushing for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to appoint his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, to fill the soon-to-be vacant Senate seat representing the Sunshine State.
“Trump really wants Lara to do it,” a well-positioned source close to the discussions at Mar-a-Lago told the New York Post, claiming the president-elect's daughter-in-law had a high likelihood of being selected.
On Sunday (December 9), Lara Trump told the Associated Press that she would "100% consider" replacing Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who was nominated as the secretary of state for her father-in-law, while resigning from her previous position as co-chair of the Republican National Committee.
“It is something I would seriously consider,” she told the Associated Press in an interview published Sunday (December 9). “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% consider it.”
Lara Trump is suspected to be among Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' top choices to replace Rubio once he's confirmed to Trump's cabinet and has the support of many of her father-in-law's allies including Tesla CEO and incoming "Department of Government Efficiency" co-chair Elon Musk to finish out the Senate term, which ends in 2026.
“The Senate is an old man’s club. We desperately need a smart, young, outspoken woman who will reveal their secrets,” Musk’s mother Maye posted on X, the social media website her son owns.
“Lara Trump is genuinely great,” Elon Musk responded.
Rubio is, however, expected to remain in the Senate through at least part of January and DeSantis, who previously ran against Trump for the Republican nomination, is reported to be taking a slow process in deciding his successor, vetting is expected to start at some point this month.
“The governor will be conducting a thorough vetting process and interview process in December that will involve several candidates,” a DeSantis aide told NBC News on Nov. 28. “He’s not in a hurry to make an important decision.”
Lara Trump said she plans to submit her official resignation from the RNC after her father-in-law's election victory, eyeing opportunities in other areas, claiming she accomplished all she'd hope to in the role she's held since March.
"The job I came to do is now complete and I intend to formally step down from the RNC at our next meeting," she wrote on her X account.
RNC co-chair Michael Whatley will continue to serve his role. Other candidates expected to be considered to replace Rubio include Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd, former Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva and the governor’s chief of staff James Uthmeier.