Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) shut down rumors that he's leaving Congress to serve as head of President-elect Donald Trump's Federal Emergency Management Agency, The Hill reported. Media reports earlier this week noted that Moskowitz was on Trump's shortlist for the position.
After the news spread, Moskowitz felt it necessary to get ahead of the chatter. In a post to X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday, Moskowitz unequivocally stated he would not be leaving his position.
"I appreciate the speculation but I am staying in Congress and running for re-election. It’s an honor to serve the people of Florida’s 23rd district," Moskowitz wrote. "To be clear, nothing was ever offered," he added.
To be clear, nothing was ever offered.
— Jared Moskowitz (@JaredEMoskowitz) December 17, 2024
If Moskowitz had taken a position with the Trump administration, he would have been the first Florida Democrat to do so. However, he is already one Democrat who is used to working with Republicans.
Under Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, Mosowitz served as the Florida Division of Emergency Management from 2019-2021. He's also the first Democrat on the Department of Government Efficiency Caucus, with Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk's DOGE.
According to the New York Post, Moskowitz was very receptive to the idea of creating such a committee. His priority was moving FEMA from under the Department of Homeland Security because it had "become too big."
Perhaps seeing Moskowitz side with Republicans made it okay for others to join in on DOGE in the Democratic Party. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) have expressed interest in joining the mission to cut waste, especially in the military.
Moskowitz has also joined Republicans speaking out against the antisemitism that has crept into his party since the war in Gaza began. Many Democrats are openly criticizing Israel for retaliating against the attacks perpetrated by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.
Even if Trump didn't tap Moskowitz this time, it's possible he's considering asking other Democrats to fill other positions. Many of his appointments take Republicans out of Congress, which narrows the GOP's already slim majority.
The president-elect has asked House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) to become the U.S. ambassador as well as Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) for national security adviser. He also had tapped Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) as his attorney general, though the ensuing accusations against him led to Gaetz stepping down from Congress altogether.
With his appointments and the loss of three seats by Republicans since November, the GOP could find itself with just a one-seat majority in the House of Representatives. This will mean a more complicated path to implementing all of his agenda.
Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance have repeatedly expressed their openness to appointing Democrats. With the Republican majority at stake, it would help alleviate that issue.
It seems it was just a rumor that Moskowitz had been asked to join the Trump administration. Even so, there are other signs that Trump is willing to work with whoever will get the most done for the American people, even Democrats.
