Ron DeSantis slows the process to fill Marco Rubio’s Senate seat as pressure grows from Trump world

President-elect Donald Trump handed Ron DeSantis a political gift this month when he gave him a U.S. Senate seat to fill. 

Just don’t expect the Florida governor to open it before Christmas.

One of Trump’s first major picks to fill his Cabinet was Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, as the president-elect stocks his nascent administration with political leaders from the state. The nomination will open up Rubio’s seat, quickly stirring speculation about whom DeSantis would pick and how involved Trump, the state’s most famous resident, will be in the process. 

Roughly two weeks after the Rubio announcement, however, DeSantis’ team is still working through its options and does not plan to show its hand for at least a month, according to five people familiar with the process.

“The governor will be conducting a thorough vetting process and interview process in December that will involve several candidates,” a DeSantis adviser told NBC News. “He’s not in a hurry to make an important decision.”

The governor has said he plans to make his selection by the beginning of January.

In the immediate aftermath of the Rubio pick, two schools of thought emerged: DeSantis could appoint a placeholder who would serve until the terms ends and then run for the Senate himself in 2026 ahead of a likely 2028 presidential bid, or pick someone to serve in the seat for the long term.

On that first choice, there appears to be resolution. DeSantis, two sources tell NBC News, is not likely to seek the Senate seat in 2026 or appoint himself to the spot, which is allowed. DeSantis does not appear poised to head to the Senate and has for now taken his name off the board.

“The governor is not looking for a placeholder and seems unlikely to pursue the Senate himself,” a Florida Republican close to DeSantis’ team said.

The next layer of intrigue that DeSantis must navigate is whether to placate Trump and his political team by appointing Lara Trump, the president-elect’s daughter-in-law and co-chair of the Republican National Committee. Trump himself has not chimed in directly, but several of his top supporters quickly floated Lara’s name after it was clear Rubio’s seat would become vacant, including Elon Musk, who has been at Trump’s side since election night.

For her part, Lara Trump has done little to downplay the rumors.

“If I am tapped to serve in another capacity, it truly would be my honor,” she told Fox News over the weekend. “I have not been asked yet, but I certainly would strongly consider it if it is presented to me.”

The Trump political team’s pushing for DeSantis to appoint one of its own has once again opened up a complicated dynamic between the governor and the president-elect. The two men had a well-known allegiance after Trump endorsed DeSantis for governor in 2018, but that has since deteriorated after DeSantis unsuccessfully challenged Trump for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024.

Trump, however, has become actively involved in Florida politics, and his presence now complicates many decisions that would ordinarily seem more cut-and-dry.

“Lara Trump or not Lara Trump, that’s the biggest question for him at this point,” a longtime Florida Republican and DeSantis ally said. “Clearly Trump and his world wants Lara Trump, but does he [DeSantis] do that? Will he cave? It’s unclear.”

The lens through which DeSantis is viewing the decision is relatively straightforward: 2028.

If DeSantis gives Trump his pick, he may be less likely to face fierce pushback from the MAGA base during another potential presidential run. Conversely, if he bucks the president-elect, it could signal an erosion of the public truce the two sides have built since DeSantis left the presidential race in January. 

“It colors everything,” the Florida operative close to DeSantis said. “If you believe it is important to not cross Trump, and I think most would agree with that, then all these things have to be viewed through that.”

If DeSantis decides not to pick Lara Trump, there is a growing number of potential state-level candidates populating the current short list, including Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, Attorney General Ashley Moody, former House Speaker Paul Renner, Secretary of State Cord Byrd, former House Speaker Jose Oliva and DeSantis chief of staff James Uthmeier. 

Each have been staunch DeSantis allies and are well-known Florida Republicans likely to get through the interview and vetting process. Moody, in particular, has stirred speculation because Uthmeier, an attorney and top DeSantis political and policy adviser, has shown interest in being appointed Florida attorney general.

“He’s been pretty open about it, and it’s not a terribly well-kept secret,” a longtime Florida lobbyist said of Uthmeier. “No idea if he will get there, but it’s clear that’s where he would like to go.”

Uthmeier didn’t respond to a request for comment on the attorney general prospect for this article.

DeSantis is not considering any Republicans from Florida’s congressional delegation in large part because of the GOP’s thin majority in the House — a margin made even smaller by Trump picking lawmakers for his administration, including Florida Rep. Mike Waltz to serve as national security adviser. He also initially nominated former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general; Gaetz has since withdrawn his name from consideration and said he will not return to Congress next year.

“I don’t think DeSantis wants to impact the Republican majority,” a DeSantis ally familiar with his thinking said. “If there is a [Florida] member of Congress being considered, I don’t know who that is.”