Florida governor Ron DeSantis (R) issued a statement on his plans to appoint a replacement for Marco Rubio (R) as the longtime senator prepares to serve in a second Trump administration.  

"Florida deserves a Senator who will help President Trump deliver on his election mandate, be strong on immigration and border security, take on the entrenched bureaucracy and administrative state, reverse the nation’s fiscal decline, be animated by conservative principles, and has a proven record of results,” DeSantis wrote on X.

DeSantis on replacing Rubio

Trump has nominated Rubio, a senator since 2011 and former 2015 primary rival, to lead the State Department.

DeSantis said he would make a decision on Rubio's replacement by early January - and several candidates have already expressed interest.

Rubio is one of the more conventional nominees in Trump's prospective Cabinet, which includes a number of controversial picks. Rubio is not likely to encounter much opposition in the Senate, where he has the support of the new Republican majority and some Democrats.

Trump has also nominated Florida Republicans Matt Gaetz and Michael Waltz to serve as attorney general and national security adviser, respectively.

Trump and his foreign policy team will inherit a world in conflict, with two major wars raging in the Middle East and Europe.

While known for his strongly interventionist views, Rubio has called for the war in Ukraine to end with a peaceful settlement.

The politics of DeSantis' decision

Whoever fills Rubio's seat will serve until a special election in 2026. Trump won Florida, a former swing state, by double digits on Election Night.

Trump and DeSantis went from being allies to rivals during the 2024 GOP presidential primary. DeSantis was touted by some as a more viable candidate than Trump after his 2020 loss, but Trump defied the skepticism of his critics to handily win the primary - and eventually the presidency, pulling off the greatest comeback in American political history.

While Trump and DeSantis have reconciled to some extent, their relationship remains cool - and a fresh row is possible as DeSantis faces pressure to put Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, in Rubio's seat.

Lara Trump co-chairs the RNC and lives in Florida with her husband Eric Trump.

With DeSantis term limited as governor in 2026, he may wish to appoint a caretaker to keep Rubio's seat available for a Senate run. But angering President-elect Trump could also damage lingering ambitions DeSantis may have for the White House in 2028.

Trump's vice president and heir apparent, J.D. Vance, is the early frontrunner for the Republican primary in 2028.