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From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: the blinding brilliance of rick scott...
URL: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4991248-rick-scott-backs-lara-trump-florida/
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Rick Scott backs Lara Trump for Rubio’s Senate seat by Julia Manchester - 11/14/24 3:14 PM ET Republican National Committee Co-chair Lara Trump speaks during the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) is publicly backing President-elect Trump’s daughter-in-law, Republican Nation Committee co-chair Lara Trump, to replace Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has been tapped to be the next secretary of State. “[Lara Trump] would be a GREAT Senator and represent Floridians well!” Scott said on the social platform X, reposting an Axios story, in which he affirmed his support for the RNC co-chair. “I hope that’s exactly who [Florida Gov. Ron] DeSantis picks,” Scott told the outlet. Earlier in the day, Scott posted a picture of Lara Trump on X with the caption “RT if you think [Lara Trump] should be Florida’s next Senator!” Scott’s support comes as the chorus of Trump allies and Republicans pushing for Lara Trump to fill the position has grown louder. “I would love to have her as a colleague,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told Fox News’s Sean Hannity on Wednesday. “That’ll be up to Gov. DeSantis, but we could not do better on the Republican side than Lara Trump.” Alabama Sen. Katie Britt (R) publicly floated Lara Trump’s name earlier this week before Rubio was officially nominated to the post by Trump. And on Tuesday, Maye Musk posted on X that Lara Trump should be Rubio’s replacement and called the upper chamber “an old man’s club.” Elon Musk reposted his mother’s post, writing that “Lara Trump is genuinely great.” Sign up for the Morning Report The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. By signing up, I agree to the Terms of Use, have reviewed the Privacy Policy, and to receive personalized offers and communications via email, on-site notifications, and targeted advertising using my email address from The Hill, Nexstar Media Inc., and its affiliates But the decision ultimately lies with DeSantis. A source familiar with the matter told The Hill earlier this week DeSantis’s chief of staff was favored for the position and that the other candidates include Florida’s lieutenant governor and attorney general. The source said the president-elect may push for his daughter-in-law, but they added “our governor has not gotten a call about appointing Lara.” Lara Trump reacted to the news of being floated to replace Rubio during an interview with Hannity on Wednesday. “If I am able to serve, I would love to serve the people of Florida,” Lara Trump said. “This is my home state now, and it has been for three years. This is where Eric [Trump] and I live, and truly to have that opportunity, I think would be incredible.” |
444149
From: Redhart, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: the blinding brilliance of rick scott...
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Freaking unbelievable. |
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444171
From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: the blinding brilliance of rick scott...
URL: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4993700-florida-governor-desantis-senate-appointment/
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Lara Trump emerges as an early favorite to fill Rubio’s Senate seat by Julia Manchester - 11/16/24 12:00 PM ET Calls from Republicans are intensifying for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to pick President-elect Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump to replace his secretary of State pick, Marco Rubio, in the Senate. On Thursday, Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R) said he hopes Trump picks his daughter-in-law, echoing his colleagues Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.). Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R) has also publicly backed her. Appointing Lara Trump would ensure that the incoming president has a loyalist in the Senate, but it would most definitely come with criticism from Democrats. But DeSantis, who has been on a trade mission in Italy this week, will ultimately make the final call. The governor himself and a number of figures from his orbit have been floated as well, including his own chief of staff, as well as the state’s lieutenant governor and attorney general. “There are a lot of good names in the mix for the Senate seat, Lara Trump being one of them,” Republican Party of Florida Chair Evan Power said. “I think she would be a capable voice if that’s the direction the governor decided to go in.” Lara Trump herself expressed interest in the position during an interview with Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo on Thursday. “If this is something I am asked to do, I would seriously consider it, but I have yet to hear from Gov. DeSantis. So we’ll see what happens,” Lara Trump said. Lara Trump has received praise from Republicans across the board for her role as Republican National Committee (RNC) co-chair, given the party’s massive wins last week. “She worked incredibly hard at the RNC and helped deliver a huge win for Trump and Republicans across the country,” said one Florida House Republican. “She is articulate and would be a reliable MAGA vote for Trump.” The speculation over the seat’s future comes as the state has become the epicenter of Republican Party politics. In addition to nominating Rubio, Trump also tapped Florida’s Rep. Mike Waltz (R) for national security adviser and former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R) for attorney general. Additionally, Trump is carrying out his transition operation from his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Fla., with his incoming chief of staff and veteran Florida political operative Susie Wiles. The dynamic could put Trump and DeSantis, who put their Republican primary rivalry aside ahead of the general election, on a potential collision course. The two famously engaged in a highly personal presidential primary battle. Another added element is Wiles’s central role in Trump’s political world. Wiles worked on DeSantis’s successful 2018 gubernatorial campaign, but the two developed a rift. She responded to news of DeSantis dropping out of the GOP primary in a post on social platform X, writing “Bye, bye.” To be clear, the president-elect has not publicly pushed for Lara Trump to fill the position. Meanwhile, DeSantis endorsed the then-Republican candidate after exiting the primary, part of an effort at burying the hatchet. In April, Trump and DeSantis met for three hours in South Florida in a meeting that was arranged by businessman Steve Witkoff. Witkoff was appointed to be Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East earlier this week. Trump touted the meeting as “great” and confirmed he had the “full and enthusiastic support” of DeSantis. The governor was given a speaking role at the Republican National Convention months later and has played a central role in pushing for an investigation into the second assassination attempt against Trump in Palm Beach. “DeSantis endorsed Trump, so by all accounts the relationship between the two of them is fine,” said Justin Sayfie, a Florida-based strategist. “He endorsed him a lot earlier than Nikki Haley did.” “There’s much more significant dynamics at play when you’re appointing a U.S. senator,” he added. But others say the relationship between the two men is not what it was before DeSantis challenged Trump for the nomination last year. “Sure,” said the Florida House Republican when asked if the idea of appointing Lara Trump offers a good opportunity to repair the relationship between the president-elect and the governor. “But does anyone actually believe that those two will ever trust each other again? Cordial, but unlikely to ever be fully repaired.” If DeSantis decides to move in a different direction than Lara Trump, he still has a significant pool of applicants. Other names floated to replace Rubio include DeSantis’s chief of staff James Uthmeier, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez and state Attorney General Ashley Moody. “All great people,” the Florida House Republican said. “Also heard there are some congressional names being batted about. This is the [governor’s] call and only he and Casey are going to be in the know,” they said, referring to Florida first lady Casey DeSantis. The timing of any appointment is unclear given questions surrounding the president-elect’s push to use recess appointments. And any convention confirmation process would take place after Trump is inaugurated next year. However, Rubio, unlike a number of Trump’s other appointments, will likely face an easier confirmation process. “This is not imminent,” Sayfie said. Mychael Schnell contributed. |
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