Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) has expressed his support for Lara Trump, President-elect Trump’s daughter-in-law and co-chair of the Republican National Committee, to succeed Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) following his nomination to become the next secretary of State.
In a post on X, Scott praised Lara Trump, calling her a “GREAT Senator” who would serve Floridians well. He shared an Axios article, reinforcing his endorsement of her candidacy. “I hope that’s exactly who [Gov. Ron] DeSantis picks,” Scott remarked to the news outlet. Earlier, Scott had shared a picture of Lara Trump on X, encouraging followers to retweet if they believed she should be Florida’s next senator.
Scott’s backing comes as support for Lara Trump’s potential appointment grows among Trump allies and Republicans. “I would love to have her as a colleague,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told Fox News’ Sean Hannity. “That’ll be up to Gov. DeSantis, but we could not do better on the Republican side than Lara Trump.”
This week, Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) also mentioned Lara Trump as a possible candidate before Rubio’s nomination was finalized. Additionally, Maye Musk took to X, suggesting that Lara Trump should replace Rubio, calling the Senate “an old man’s club.” Elon Musk, Maye’s son, reposted her message, praising Lara Trump as “genuinely great.”
However, the decision rests with Governor DeSantis. A source familiar with the matter told The Hill that DeSantis’s chief of staff is considered a top contender for the position, with Florida’s lieutenant governor and attorney general also in the mix.
The source noted that although the president-elect might advocate for his daughter-in-law, DeSantis has not yet been contacted regarding Lara Trump’s potential appointment. During a Wednesday interview with Hannity, Lara Trump responded to the speculation surrounding her possible candidacy.
“If I am able to serve, I would love to serve the people of Florida,” she stated. “This is my home state now, and it has been for three years. This is where Eric and I live, and truly, to have that opportunity would be incredible.”