Donald Trump said Monday that he trusts Florida governor Ron DeSantis (R) to appoint the "right" person to replace Senator Marco Rubio, who is joining the Trump administration as Secretary of State.
While he gave his daughter-in-law Lara Trump a glowing endorsement, Trump said he does not believe DeSantis will appoint her to Rubio's seat.
There has been speculation that Lara Trump could get the role, and Trump reportedly spoke with DeSantis about it in private.
At least publicly, DeSantis appears to be in no hurry to satisfy Trump's wishes. The governor has emphasized that he is vetting multiple candidates, although it's entirely possible that DeSantis has the position lined up for a supporter of his own.
Trump and DeSantis had a bruising feud during the 2024 Republican presidential primary, and despite their recent detente, DeSantis harbors his own personal ambitions.
He is term-limited as governor, and some believe he may replace Rubio with a loyalist to keep the seat open for himself in the future.
While Lara Trump has expressed interest in the job, her father-in-law admitted at a Mar-A-Lago press conference that it's far from a done deal.
Despite their history of conflict, Trump complimented DeSantis on a "good" job as governor and said he would let him make his decision on his own.
“No, I don’t. I probably don’t, but I don’t know. Ron’s doing a good job. That’s his choice. Nothing to do with me,” Trump said, when asked if he expects DeSantis to choose Lara Trump.
At the same time, Trump said Lara's skills leave her with alternatives.
"Ron’s going to have to make that decision, and he’ll make the right decision. I also know that Lara’s got so many other things. I mean, she’s got so many other things. People want her to be on television. They want to give her contracts. You know, her predominant thought is our country and her family. Those are her thoughts," Trump said.
Lara Trump recently resigned from her position as co-chair of the Republican National Committee, where she helped orchestrate her father-in-law's historic political comeback.
Donald lavished praise on her performance at the RNC, dismissing the notion that her appointment would be an act of "nepotism."
"And they did such an unbelievable job, especially on cheating, they stopped it, or at least, they stymied it — too big to rig, and we won in a landslide. You know, we won tremendously. She did an amazing job,” he said.
