Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is interested in serving in Donald Trump’s administration as defense secretary if formally offered the job, two sources close to DeSantis told CNN.
DeSantis is one of a handful of individuals that have been floated to Trump as potential replacements for embattled nominee Pete Hegseth.
Trump’s consideration of DeSantis for Defense Secretary — and the Florida governor’s subsequent interest — marks a stunning pivot in a relationship that soured in recent years. Trump viewed DeSantis as a disloyal former ally for jumping into the GOP race for president when it was well-known the former president intended to run again.
The bad blood continued throughout the primary, as Trump assembled a team of disgruntled former DeSantis operatives to oversee his third White House bid — including co-campaign manager Susie Wiles — and picked up broad support from members of Florida’s congressional delegation who often felt ignored by their own governor.
But on Tuesday, Trump and DeSantis both attended a memorial service for fallen Florida deputies in Palm Beach County — a rare joint public appearance for two men who have barely spoken since their acrimonious primary came to an end. A source close to both men told CNN that during the day, the two also discussed DeSantis potentially replacing Hegseth as Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, should the former Fox News host ultimately falter.
As recently as last month, DeSantis previously brushed aside questions about serving in a Trump administration. During an address to Notre Dame shortly after Trump’s victory, he said Trump has “a lot of great people to choose from … For me, I’m not seeking anything. I’ve got a great job in the state of Florida.”
“How can I best make a difference,” DeSantis said. “Given where we are, me quarterbacking the Sunshine State is probably how I make the biggest difference.”
However, the political calculus for the Republican has shifted in recent weeks as Trump has asserted his dominance over the state DeSantis leads. Trump has filled his government in recent weeks with Florida nominees, leaving DeSantis to deal with the political fallout amid pressure from Trump allies to do the president-elect’s bidding. That includes a public push to name Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump as a replacement for Sen. Marco Rubio, who has been tapped as Secretary of State.
DeSantis also still harbors ambitions of running for president again — a prospect that, for the moment, appears clouded by Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, the heir-apparent to lead the next generation of the MAGA movement in 2028. Facing two more years as a lame duck governor of Florida before he is second and final term expired, and with no clear path to staying relevant in Trump’s GOP, DeSantis has grown increasingly comfortable with the idea of serving in the Trump administration.
Still, it’s not clear DeSantis is the front-runner to replace Hesgeth. Many of the president-elect’s key advisers remain on poor terms with the Florida governor and have plenty of firepower to influence Trump against elevating DeSantis to such a critical job. To this day, DeSantis supporters frequently clash online with Trump’s vast world of MAGA influencers on X. And unlike other Republicans, DeSantis did little publicly to assist Trump during his hard-fought bid for the White House and the two even took opposing positions on a Florida ballot referendum to legalize marijuana.
This post has been updated with additional details.
