RNC co-chair Lara Trump has decided she won’t extend the family’s political dynasty to the Senate, pulling her name from consideration for Marco Rubio‘s open seat in Florida.
Trump, the wife of president-elect Donald’s son Eric, had been considered one of the contenders to replace Rubio upon his confirmation to become the new Secretary of State.
It was even considered as part of a deal between Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis that could have seen him replace Pete Hegseth as nominee for Secretary of Defense.
However, Lara Trump released a statement Saturday taking her name out of the running.
‘After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate,’ she wrote.
‘I could not have been more honored to serve as RNC co-chair during the most high-stakes election of our lifetime and I’m truly humbled by the unbelievable support shown to me by the people of our country, and here in the great state of Florida.
‘I have read so many of your kind messages and I cannot thank you enough.’
However, Lara did say that she has ‘a big announcement that I’m excited to share in January, so, stay tuned.’
‘I remain incredibly passionate about public service and look forward to serving our country again sometime in the future. In the meantime, I wish Governor DeSantis the best of luck with this appointment.’
Donald Trump last spoke about his daughter-in-law’s possible Senate ambitions at a press conference at Mar-a-Lago Monday.
Asked whether he expected DeSantis to name Lara Trump to replace Rubio, Trump said, ‘I probably don´t, but I don´t know.’
Trump recently spoke with DeSantis at a memorial for Florida law enforcement officers.
The president-elect’s allies have been pushing DeSantis to nominate Lara Trump.
‘Ron´s doing a good job with his choice,’ Trump said, without elaborating.
He lavished praise on Lara Trump, including for her work at the RNC, where part of her duties involved focusing on ‘election integrity,’ a priority of Trump’s after he falsely claimed fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
Earlier in December, she said that she would step down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee and would consider a U.S. Senate vacancy if Marco Rubio is confirmed.
‘The job I came to do is now complete and I intend to formally step down from the RNC at our next meeting,’ she said in a Sunday night post on X that cited fundraising, election integrity and voter turnout as goals met.
Lara Trump told the Associated Press in an interview she was open to filling the U.S. Senate seat that would be vacated if the Senate confirms Trump pick Marco Rubio as the next secretary of state.
‘It is something I would seriously consider,’ she told the AP.
‘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.’
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would choose a replacement to serve out the remainder of Rubio’s six-year term, which ends in 2026.
Lara Trump and North Carolina Republican Party leader Michael Whatley in March assumed leadership of the RNC, which played a key role in marshaling voters and funds for the Nov. 5 general election.
While some Trump Cabinet picks are controversial, Rubio’s is not and he is likely to easily be confirmed by the Senate to serve as the next Secretary of State – leaving his Senate seat up for grabs.
Nearly six in 10 Republicans – 59 percent – say that Lara is their top pick to replace Rubio, according to a J.L. Partners poll for DailyMail.com earlier this month.
Only ten percent are opposed.
When all respondents regardless of party were considered, the response was more split. Thirty-three percent say they support Lara being a senator, with 30 percent opposed.
The mother-of-two and wife of Trump’s middle son Eric was instrumental in helping the GOP reclaim the Senate and the White House while maintaining their majority in the House of Representatives in the 2024 election.
Since last year, Lara’s political stock in MAGA world and the Republican Party has risen considerably.
The idea of a Trump family member in the U.S. Senate has garnered enthusiasm, including from Maye Musk, the mother of billionaire Trump ally Elon Musk.
‘The Senate is an old man’s club. We desperately need a smart, young, outspoken woman who will reveal their secrets,’ she posted on X last month.
Once Rubio officially steps down from the Senate, which he is expected to do next month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has the authority to fill his seat if confirmed to Trump’s Cabinet.
Last month, DeSantis said he is conducting ‘[m]ore extensive vetting and candidate interviews’ throughout December so he is ready to announce Rubio’s replacement ‘by the beginning of January.’
‘Florida deserves 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, reverse the nation’s fiscal decline, be animated by conservative principles, and has a proven record of results,’ DeSantis wrote on X.
The Florida governor ran in the 2024 primary to challenge Trump for the Republican presidential nomination.
Despite being one of the remaining contenders for the position, DeSantis fell in line over the summer when he endorsed Trump and spoke on his behalf at the Republican Convention in July.
The governor has plenty of local options if he is bold enough to break with Trump and elevate one of his allies instead.
DeSantis’ No. 2, Lt. Gov Jeanette Nuñez, is an obvious choice.
Other names floated include Florida’s Attorney General Ashley Moody and former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner.
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