With President-elect Donald Trump picking Senator Marco Rubio as the next Secretary of State, Governor Ron DeSantis will be uniquely positioned to preserve his political career.
With President Trump having won reelection and Vice President-elect JD Vance looking like the heir apparent to the MAGA movement, Gov. DeSantis may be in the final two years of his time in politics.
After his failed presidential bid against President Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential primary sweepstakes, where he gave the President-elect $160 million reasons to loathe him, Gov. DeSantis all but ended his budding political future by challenging arguably the most effective and popular Republican president since President Ronald Reagan.
Was it a dumb or stupid move to consider challenging Trump?
Probably.
DeSantis quickly dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump after getting hammered in the Iowa Caucuses, but the damage was done.
Trump is not a forgetful guy and always holds his adversaries' feet to the fire. Just ask Nikki Haley and Mike Pompeo, who Trump recently embarrassed by announcing that they would not be part of his administration.
Susie Wiles, who has just been named Chief of Staff to President Trump, is already framing the administration, and because of the long-standing feud between her and the DeSantis’, it’s a pretty safe bet that Trump will not be extending any job offers to Florida's governor.
We are not going to get into particulars that we are privy to about the DeSantis vs. Wiles feud, but we will say the current Trump world scenario sets the table for a profound reality check for DeSantis.
Advantage: Wiles
Again, Trump has not forgotten about the $160 million DeSantis used against him.
Stick a fork in it.
DeSantis’s career ended when he lost to Trump, or did it?
The Comeback Kid?
DeSantis could (most likely will) see himself in a fight or flight political position, and may go as far as to replace Senator Rubio with himself.
Back in 2009, then-Governor Charlie Crist appointed his former Chief of Staff George LeMieux to replace retiring Senator Bob Menendez (R).
Crist could have tapped himself for the job, but instead chose LeMieux for obvious optical reasons.
Unlike Crist, DeSantis doesn’t really care what anyone thinks of him, so if he were to appoint himself to replace Rubio, it would not be much of a surprise for many people within Florida’s political orbit.
Let’s not forget that back in 2016, DeSantis ran of Rubio’s Senate seat when the soon-to-be Secretary of State ran for president and lost to Trump.
DeSantis and the rest of the field of Republican dropped out of the Senate race when Rubio decided to run for reelection to the Senate.
Rubio won reelection, and DeSantis went on to become arguably the most effective governor of Florida.
Again, DeSantis may not have any other option but to appoint himself to Rubio’s seat.
Few Options
Yeah, DeSantis could pull a Cristaroo and appoint Chief-of-Staff James Uthemeier to the Senate.
This would allow DeSantis to fulfill his remaining two years as governor and then run for Senate. He would probably start campaigning for the job shortly after the 2026 legislative session concludes in March. DeSantis would clear the field of Republican candidates.
Also, most people do not know this, but Uthmeier was recently considering a run for Congress in Florida’s 2nd congressional district.
What could very well happen is that DeSantis would resign as governor and have Lt. Governor Jeanette Nunez, who would be acting-Governor, directly appoint him to the Senate.
What if he DeSantis doesn’t make a move to the Senate?
Well, he won’t be working at a pizza shop, but he still could find himself as a political spectator and eventually a paid lobbyist.
2028
If DeSantis is in the Senate, he would have yet another bully pulpit to raise money from, and have another high profile position that could help him launch another presidential campaign in 2028 or 2032.
