Trump’s Cabinet requests to give Ron DeSantis a gift – but possibly with strings attached

DeSantis doesn’t have to listen to Trump after the two men’s relationship faltered amid DeSantis’ national rise and his failed 2024 presidential campaign. But the president-elect led Florida by nearly 13 points this year, giving Trump a chance at political capital and at least the appearance of influence.

“I think this election makes a lot of sense and would be great for Florida,” said one Trump ally, who acknowledged there is interest in the Trump world for DeSantis to appoint Lara Trump. “He had a great evening last Tuesday. He won by a large margin, including in Florida. I think it’s pretty clear that this move would not be controversial among Florida Republicans.”

But Trump’s wishes are far from the only consideration when it comes to a Senate seat that hasn’t been vacant in 14 years. Another avenue that’s getting a lot of attention, according to five sources NBC News spoke with, would be the so-called “wildcard” strategy.

In that scenario, DeSantis would likely appoint James Uthmeier, his longtime chief of staff and top policy adviser who also did legal work for Trump’s first campaign and advised former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. Uthmeier would then not run when the seat comes up for a special election in 2026 to fill the remaining two years of Rubio’s term — giving DeSantis an open Senate seat to compete for ahead of a likely second presidential run in 2028 can.

“I think the James option is very open. If DeSantis wanted to run for the seat, James would get out of the way, and if he didn’t, a trusted DeSantis ally would run for re-election,” said a longtime DeSantis aide. “DeSantis controls the outcome either way.”

How the appointment process unfolds will depend on whether the burgeoning push for Lara Trump by some figures leads to tougher lobbying from Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s political home base — and how DeSantis then responds to that pressure if it materializes .

“Will they be able to pursue him as an alpha male?” The same source said of DeSantis.

DeSantis’ team is aware of the dynamic.

“I heard that too,” a DeSantis ally said of Lara Trump, who was campaigning for the Senate nomination. “But I also heard from someone at the top that there is disagreement about whether this is a good idea.”

There is another possibility, but one that is becoming increasingly unlikely: DeSantis is likely to nominate himself, a scenario that first emerged over the summer when Trump considered Rubio as a potential vice president.

Two DeSantis advisers told NBC News that it was very unlikely that DeSantis would appoint himself, even if the option remained open.

Others on the list of possible appointees include Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nunez, Attorney General Ashley Moody, House Speaker Paul Renner, former House Speaker Jose Oliva and Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., who was the first member of Congress to endorse DeSantis’ presidential candidacy , which was considered controversial because most of Florida’s Republican congressional delegation supported Trump.

“I think some scenarios are more likely than others,” a DeSantis ally said, suggesting the wildcard strategy was likely. “But no matter what direction the governor takes, there is a lot of talent available for election.”

DeSantis’ difficult relationship with Trump was one reason Rubio’s choice as secretary of state surprised many political observers in Florida.

DeSantis and Trump were close when the then-president launched DeSantis’ once-far-fetched bid for governor in 2018, but a heated argument broke out between the two when it became clear that DeSantis would run against Trump in 2024 would. Another complicating factor: After the 2018 election, DeSantis fired his campaign manager Susie Wiles, who has since become a mainstay in Trump’s political activity and will serve as his first chief of staff.

Wiles and DeSantis still have bad blood, leading some to believe she gave him a Senate appointment without a plan.

“In my opinion, they have a plan for Florida,” said a longtime Florida aide familiar with the Trump team’s decision-making process. “The last [Trump’s team] I want to give Ron the opportunity to really shake things up and bring lasting power to his crew. So I’m confident they’ll work hard if Ron resists.”

With Trump unable to force DeSantis to act, the “hard” part of things could come in the form of Trump’s vast right-wing social media and podcast ecosystem, which has a history of making or breaking the political careers of the Republicans contributed. According to multiple media reports, this loose coalition most recently tried to push Florida Sen. Rick Scott over the finish line in his bid to become Senate majority leader.

“I will actually be making a public call for Governor DeSantis to appoint Lara Trump to fill Marco Rubio’s term,” Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, an early Trump supporter, told Benny Johnson, a Trump celebrity -Supporter with more than 3 million followers on X. “She would avoid a really nasty primary in two years.”

“I give her my full support,” she continued of Lara Trump, who lives in North Carolina. “I give her my full support.”