President-elect Donald Trump announced a surprise twist on Monday in the race to replace Sen. Marco Rubio, R-F.L.
Trump said he doesn’t expect Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to appoint Lara Trump to fill Rubio’s Senate seat.
During a press conference at Mar-a Lago, Trump distanced himself from the selection process while still praising his daughter-in-law’s credentials.
“No, I don’t. I probably don’t. But I don’t know,” Trump said when asked if Lara Trump would be appointed. “Ron’s doing a good job, that’s his choice — nothing to do with me.”
After Trump tapped Rubio as his incoming Secretary of State, there was widespread speculation that Lara Trump, who recently stepped down as Republican National Committee co-chair, would be a suitable replacement.
While Trump has previously recommended her to DeSantis, he also emphasized she has many other opportunities on Monday.
“Lara’s unbelievable,” Trump said. “She is so highly respected by women. Even her workout routines are through the roof. She lifts 150 pounds. I don’t know how the hell she does it.” He added that “people want her to be on television. They want to give her a contract.”
DeSantis, who clashed with Trump during the 2024 GOP primary before later endorsing him, plans to announce his selection by early January. Some have speculated he might appoint a temporary caretaker to keep the seat open for his own potential run, though such a move could prove politically risky.
A similar strategy by former Gov. Charlie Crist in 2009 ultimately failed when Rubio won the seat.
“I would say that my track record speaks for itself. Maybe having the last name Trump is just a little bit extra. I’m always happy to have it,” Lara Trump, who changed her Florida residency three years ago with husband Eric Trump, told Fox News.
DeSantis emphasized he seeks 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” and be a champion for conservative principles.
“We have already received strong interest from several possible candidates, and we continue to gather names of additional candidates and conduct preliminary vetting,” DeSantis said Monday.
More extensive reviews will occur in coming weeks, DeSantis said.
The appointment represents one of several congressional vacancies Trump’s cabinet selections have created recently.