PRESSURE, PRESSURE — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) is feeling the pressure from Team Trump.
The expansion is Shakespeare's power struggle DeSantis' political future relationship with President-elect Donald Trump. The conflict was sparked by President Trump's nomination of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) as Secretary of State. Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law and current co-chair of the Republican National Committee, immediately emerged as a potential candidate to replace him.
Rubio won re-election for a third time in November 2022, so DeSantis will need to appoint someone to fill his seat for the next two years. The winner of the special election will complete the remaining two years of Rubio's term in November 2026. In 2028, Florida voters will elect a new six-year term in the U.S. Senate.
The stakes are high. “America is now Florida,” has been heard among Florida Republicans, reflecting how the state has transformed into a center of Republican political power. On November 5, Mr. Trump won the former battleground state by a landslide 13 points, solidifying his position as one of the reddest large states in the country.
So whoever Mr. DeSantis appoints to the Senate could be a key figure in the Republican Party. And as incumbents, the appointed senators are likely to win in a special election in 2026 and a term that expires in 2028.
That reality poses a potentially career-altering obstacle for DeSantis, 46, who leaves office term-limited in early January 2027. Mr. DeSantis is now paying the price for his failed enthusiasm.
After winning re-election in 2022 by a 19-point margin, the impatient Mr. DeSantis announced his presidential bid in May 2023. By any standard, his disastrous primary campaign was an example of what not to do. After defeating President Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination, DeSantis defied himself and returned as the successful governor of the nation's third-most populous state.
Once DeSantis leaves the governor's mansion, he will need another high-profile office or a Fox News program to remain relevant. The most obvious path is through the Senate, where he can park until his next opportunity. In theory, DeSantis could run for president anytime until 2056, when he would be 78, Trump's current age.
This is why DeSantis' appointment is essential to his political dreams. From stage right, Eric Trump's wife and MAGA “It Girl” Lala appears. After Rubio's announcement, she made it abundantly clear on all of her Fox News programs that she wanted the title “Senator Trump.”
Mr. Lara is gaining political momentum, serving as co-chairman of the Republican National Committee and successfully winning the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives. During the campaign, she was a perfectly formed, camera-ready spokesperson for President Trump's policies. For example, Lala told Sean Hannity, “I want to serve the people of Florida.”
Cue a flood of prominent supporters: Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-Mo.), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Mo.). Sen. Katie Britt (R-Alabama), Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), and President Trump's new attorney general pick, Pam Bondi, have more. Expectations are high.
Adding to the weight of family, Lala's brother-in-law, Donald Trump Jr., declared on Fox News Sunday, “I think she's going to be a great person.” Earlier this week on News Nation, Scott (DeSantis' former governor) boldly said, “He's going to choose Lara Trump because he knows she's clearly qualified.” I predicted it.
Why are “Senators Trump” making such a fuss? Beneficial MAGA incentives force DeSantis to show “loyalty” to King Donald’s “dishonest” presidential campaign. Will Mr. DeSantis vacate his promising Senate seat and play the role of “sacrificial lamb”?
Lara will likely keep his seat warm and win in 2026 and 2028. After all, Florida is Trump country and America is now Florida. Moreover, she has become Trump's eyes and ears in the Senate, and there are signs of disloyalty in the force newly led by Senate Minority Leader John Thune (R.S.D.), who defeated the MAGA-backed Scott to win the new post. If so, it may be reported.
DeSantis' impending decision has drawn attention and speculation. On Nov. 18, the governor announced his criteria in a post about X, saying he would “decide in January.” “Florida has the power to help President Trump fulfill his electoral mandate, to be strong on immigration and border security, to improve our entrenched bureaucracy and administrative state, to reverse the nation's fiscal decline, and to embrace conservative principles.” Driven by, we have a proven track record.”
Was DeSantis expressing himself? It sounds like a future “DeSantis for Senate” campaign ad. And perhaps that's because Florida law does not prohibit the governor from making his own appointments. Plus, DeSantis is a true Floridian, so anything is possible, accepted, and then forgotten.
Still, appointing one yourself is risky. it worked Only 1 out of 9 governors tried it before — No matter how popular he was as governor, everyone else kept losing. On top of that, DeSantis is also expected to take Category 5 winds from an enraged Team Trump.
A similarly bold move, with the same result, would be for Mr. DeSantis to resign and appoint Lt. Gov. Janet Nunez to fill Mr. Rubio's seat once he becomes governor.
There is also a “keep it in the family'' option, where Mr. DeSantis appoints his popular and equally ambitious wife, Casey, to serve as an alternate senator until a special election in 2026. DeSantis could then launch his Senate campaign from the governor's mansion throughout 2026. This strategy was successfully utilized in 2018 by then-Gov., now Sen. Scott.
This “placeholder” option continues to be widely discussed, most frequently mentioned by DeSantis' chief of staff James Uthmeier.
Mr. DeSantis knows that his Senate appointments over the last two years reflect his ongoing battle with the Trump forces working against his future, and that this is an attempt orchestrated by Sen. Lara Trump. It explains the frenzy. At that point, in July, an influential Trump insider texted me. “Ron is done. He will never hold public office again and will do whatever it takes to make that happen. Loyalty is important. He lacks character.”
As already reflected in President Trump's cabinet appointments, “loyalty is important.” DeSantis displayed dishonesty at the start of his ill-fated presidential campaign. But now he can show sacrificial loyalty by “kissing the ring” and appointing Sen. Lara Trump.
DeSantis has options. He can do what is best for him, or he can quietly accept Team Trump's pressure campaign and hope that his loyalty will be rewarded.
Myra Adams is an opinion writer who served on the creative teams of two Republican presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008.
