President-elect Donald Trump isn’t holding out hope for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to tap Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law, to serve as the Sunshine State’s next senator.
When asked during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Monday whether he expected DeSantis, 46, to pick her, Trump, 78, responded, “No, I don’t.”
“But I don’t know,” the incoming president added. “Ron’s doing a good job, that’s his choice — nothing to do with me.”
“Lara’s unbelievable,” he went on. “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.”
Last month, the president-elect tapped Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) as his secretary of state designee, prompting speculation that his daughter-in-law could fill the vacant Senate seat.
In November, Lara Trump, 42, stepped down as the co-chair of the Republican National Committee, a role she had held since March, further fueling buzz about her nabbing the seat.
The president-elect rejected suggestions that the move was nepotism, arguing that RNC top brass were impressed with her.
“Ron is gonna have to make that decision — and he’ll make the right decision,” Trump mused. “He’ll make the right decision.”
“I also know that Lara’s got so many other things,” he said. “People want her to be on television. They want to give her a contract. You know her predominant thought is our country and her family.”
Trump and DeSantis had previously been rivals in the 2024 GOP presidential primary contest, but the two have seemingly since worked to thaw out their relationship.
The president-elect has spoken with the Sunshine State governor about Lara Trump and put in a good word for her.
DeSantis is term-limited and can’t run for re-election in 2026. Some observers have speculated that he could name a loyalist to fill the seat temporarily as a caretaker in order to keep it open for him to pursue without an incumbent.
Former Gov. Charlie Crist attempted that in 2009 with his former chief of staff, but Rubio ultimately edged him out and won the seat.
However, the optics of that could prove tricky for DeSantis.
“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 told Fox News earlier this month.
About three years ago, both Lara Trump and her husband, Eric Trump, changed their residency to Florida. Trump’s daughter-in-law had also been subject to speculation about seeking home state North Carolina’s Senate seat in 2022.
DeSantis has underscored that he wants 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 conservative champion broadly.
The term-limited governor has set his sights on selecting a senator early next month.
“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 on Monday.
“More extensive vetting and candidate interviews will be conducted over the next few weeks, with a selection likely made by the beginning of January.”
During his staffing process for the next administration, Trump has tapped multiple lawmakers in both chambers of Congress, risking the possibility of winnowing the GOP’s majorities.
Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is also tasked with selecting a temporary replacement for Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), the vice president-elect.
