In the same vein as his “Never Back Down” presidential run, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday held out and delayed answering MAGA World’s mounting calls for Lara Trump to be appointed U.S. Senator in Marco Rubio’s absence.
Via social media, Gov. DeSantis announced that he would wait until January to reveal Florida's next Senator after conducting "extensive vetting" procedures for the growing potential candidate slate. The shortlist could include himself, Trump’s daughter-in-law, Attorney General Ashley Moody, Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nunez, Chief of Staff James Uthmeier, and possibly—state Sen. Jay Collins.
"The American people want someone who inspires them with emotion, who knows what they're doing practically and analytically, but they want someone who's focused on service, on sacrifice, on serving the American people and the American way," Collins told The Floridian about Marco Rubio, lauding the Florida Senator for becoming the next Secretary of State. He then praised both DeSantis' and Trump's different but "incredible" tenures, insisting that now is time for an "America First" and "Let's Make America Florida" approach.
"I saw the power of what America stands for, I saw the power and the projectability of what America can become again," he said of his time in the military. "But I also saw how we failed under poor leadership, and I think the American people see that and know that and they believe in military leaders."
A U.S. Army Green Beret who lost his leg in Afghanistan, the Tampa Republican may present a semi-in-between for the power tug-of-war laced into the DeSantis-Trump dynamic. Though Collins endorsed DeSantis in his 2024 Republican Presidential run, he has since been a prominent Trump advocate who regularly applauds the president-elect's Cabinet picks on social media.
In the 2024 session, Collins sponsored popular conservative laws requiring anti-communism instruction in schools, strengthened penalties for exposing first responders to fentanyl, and guaranteed the return of weapons 30 days after some arrests.
But can Collins be the one candidate that bridges the gap between the Trump and DeSantis worlds?
During a sit-down interview with The Floridian Publisher Javier Manjarres, Collins praised both Trump and DeSantis' respective leadership.
🚨EXCLUSIVE—Fmr. U.S. Army Green Beret @JayCollinsFL Emerges as Possible @GovRonDeSantis Candidate to Replace Rubio.
"I saw the power of what America stands for; I saw the power and the projectability of what America can become again"
Reported by @LivCaputo via @Floridianpress… pic.twitter.com/zYmyYvJD3a
— The Floridian (@Floridianpress) November 18, 2024
"On one hand we have President Trump. He’s been incredibly clear, from the moment those rounds started popping and hit his ear, he has been a changed man," Collins said. "And here in Florida, we have led from the front, and that’s Governor DeSantis. We have two incredible leaders here in the state of Florida."
The Trump-DeSantis relationship, however, has of late been strained in a closed-doors power struggle to be the top Florida dog, wrought with proxy wars over state legislative seats and Florida ballot amendments. In short, it's hard to see either accepting a Senate appointment who endorsed the other during the 2024 presidential primary—though the ultimate replacement choice lies with DeSantis.
As Governor, DeSantis must appoint a U.S. Senator after Trump snagged Rubio to be his administration's Secretary of State. Rubio, popular among conservatives, needs to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate after Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration—officially leaving his seat vacant.
Trump allies, including Sen. Rick Scott, nominated Attorney General Matt Gaetz, and billionaire Elon Musk have joined the chorus of MAGA-ite voices vouching for Lara Trump, the 2024 co-chair of the Republican National Convention and wife to Eric Trump.
Pro-DeSantis influencers say no, angry at the suggestion that DeSantis would cave to Trump World's "nepotism" calls as they namely promote either DeSantis himself or Chief of Staff Uthmeier. Whoever is appointed will serve until a 2026 special election, where they will have the option to run to serve out the remaining two years in Rubio's term.
DeSantis revealed Monday that Rubio's replacement would need a "proven record of results," specifically on border security, fiscal conservatism, and taking on the "entrenched bureaucracy" that so many demand be drained.
"We have already received strong interest from several possible candidates, and we continue to gather names of additional candidates and conduct preliminary vetting," DeSantis posted on social media, writing days after his return from a week-long trade mission to Italy. "More extensive vetting and candidate interviews will be conducted over the next few weeks, with a selection likely made by the beginning of January."
