President Trump indicated he is considering appointing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to a top cabinet position, telling reporters "Well, I like him a lot" when explaining the potential move. DeSantis, whose second term as governor is nearing its end, previously expressed interest in serving as either defense secretary or attorney general, according to reporting from the Wall Street Journal and Axios.
DeSantis was once a rival of Trump's during the 2024 Republican primary race. The Florida governor finished a distant second in the Iowa caucuses before his campaign ended, after which he endorsed Trump and began working closely with the president on his policy agenda, particularly his immigration enforcement initiatives.
The relationship between the two Republicans has shifted markedly since the primary contest. Trump previously leveled what the source characterizes as "ruthless personal attacks" against DeSantis during their campaign competition. More recently, Trump declared DeSantis a "10 out of 10 — maybe 9.9" during a July visit to DeSantis's detention facility for undocumented immigrants in the Everglades known as "Alligator Alcatraz."
DeSantis has demonstrated loyalty to Trump's agenda beyond immigration policy. Most recently, the governor advanced new congressional maps in Florida that could provide Republicans with four additional House seats in the 2026 midterm elections. Florida is also set to host Trump's presidential library, and DeSantis has already signed legislation renaming roads and an airport near Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in his honor.
Trump has made several cabinet changes in recent months, replacing Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary, Pam Bondi as attorney general, and Lori Chavez-DeRemer as labor secretary. Any appointment of DeSantis would mark a significant staffing decision as Trump continues reshaping his administration.
