TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — As President-elect Donald Trump works to fill his administration, the function of protection secretary continues to be up within the air. Sources say Governor Ron DeSantis was one potential substitute for nominee Pete Hegseth, nonetheless Friday, the President-elect confirmed his help for Hegseth.
In any case the excitement Floridians noticed this week with a potential DeSantis nomination for protection secretary, will Hegseth survive? And is DeSantis nonetheless on deck for Trump’s nomination? Trump says Hegseth is a winner, and he isn’t the one one displaying help.
Trump and J.D. Vance are sending a message to the Senate to line up with Protection Secretary nominee Hegseth. Trump shared his help for Hegseth on Truth Social, with Vance echoing the identical message on X saying, “We’ve got his back.”
Nonetheless, even with the help, Governor DeSantis’ title continues to be within the combine.
Political Analyst Tara Newsom shared that whereas Florida appears to be the breeding floor for leaders to hitch Trump within the new 12 months, the longer term president nonetheless has but to faucet DeSantis and will have left him out within the chilly.
“No matter whether or not or not he is in his first spherical of picks with President-elect Trump, I do not suppose it essentially directs his future 4 years from now, however it might imply slightly little bit of a chilling impact on the White Home proper now,” Newsom mentioned.
Whereas it is unclear what DeSantis’ subsequent steps politically are, Trump and Vance usually are not the one ones supporting Hegseth. Florida U.S. Senator Rick Scott met with him on capitol hill this week, stating, “He has my full help, and I sit up for voting to substantiate him as secretary of protection.”
GOP chief Evan Energy says the remainder of the Senate ought to do the identical and help Trump’s nominees.
“Governor DeSantis would do an amazing job if [he] had been to serve in that function,” Energy mentioned. “However clearly we’ve a nominee that’s nonetheless there and nonetheless combating.”
Florida Democratic chief Nikki Fried says in any other case.
“All of those nominations are primarily based on one factor and that’s your willingness to point out your full devotion and loyalty to Donald Trump,” Fried mentioned.
Whereas the DeSantis choose is an fascinating one, does he cross the Trump loyalty check? And can the Senate cross the check and align with Trump?