U.S. Senate shaken up by this huge announcement from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis

ron desantis

Ron DeSantis has made his pick. He’s raising eyebrows in Washington, D.C.

And the U.S. Senate was seriously shaken up by his huge announcement.

Ron DeSantis Announces Pick To Replace Marco Rubio In U.S. Senate Chamber

On Thursday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made a significant announcement that Attorney General Ashley Moody would fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Senator Marco Rubio. Rubio is expected to be confirmed in the coming days as President-elect Donald Trump’s Secretary of State. DeSantis explained the thought process behind his decision, saying, “This is something that I thought about long and hard. We did a lot of research, we got a number of great candidates throughout the state of Florida.”

He went on to explain the importance of choosing a candidate with a proven record of action, rather than just words. “I wanted somebody with a demonstrated record of delivering results on those important issues. Talk is cheap. We need people that have demonstrated fidelity to these principles with their actions. That is why today I am proud to announce I am selecting our attorney general Ashley Moody to serve as our next U.S. Senator.”

Moody’s selection is likely to spark a series of political shifts within Florida’s Republican ranks. In 2026, both the governor’s office and the position of attorney general will be up for grabs. As part of this announcement, DeSantis revealed that James Uthmeier, the governor’s chief of staff, would take over as Florida’s next attorney general once Moody officially steps into her Senate role.

Ashley Moody has served as Florida’s attorney general since 2018, and in 2022, she easily secured reelection during a midterm year that saw Republicans in Florida achieving overwhelming victories. Throughout her tenure, Moody has been a staunch advocate for conservative causes. She strongly opposed a 2024 Florida ballot measure that sought to secure a right to abortion, and has consistently taken legal action against the Biden administration on a range of issues, including illegal immigration, gun rights, energy policies, and student loan debt forgiveness.

In her statement, Moody expressed her commitment to her new role, stating, “I will not let you down, I will not let the citizens of Florida down, and I will not let my country down.” She praised DeSantis for his leadership and vowed to bring the same dedication to the Senate that she had as attorney general. “I will bring the same persistence and passion and tenacity as a United States Senator that I have brought as Florida’s attorney general. If you have worked with me and fought with me over the last six years, you know I don’t think of this as a job, I think of it as a calling.”

Moody also elaborated on her reasons for seeking a Senate seat, voicing her frustrations with the Biden administration’s actions and its impact on states like Florida. She expressed excitement about the opportunity to advance Trump’s agenda from day one in Washington, and stressed the importance of having a strong Congress that can check the power of federal agencies.

The selection of Moody had previously been speculated upon, with rumors circulating about Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara potentially being considered for the Senate seat. However, Lara Trump withdrew her name from consideration during the Christmas season, leaving the field open. Trump himself remained mostly silent about his preferences for the appointment, although he played golf with DeSantis on Tuesday, just ahead of the Rubio confirmation.

Marco Rubio Enjoys Bipartisan Support For Secretary of State Position

Meanwhile, Rubio was involved in his own confirmation process. On Wednesday, he appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he discussed his approach to dealing with an array of growing national security threats, many of which have emerged during the Biden administration.

His hearing was smooth, reflecting his extensive experience in foreign policy, particularly from his work on the Senate’s intelligence and foreign relations committees. Rubio emphasized the urgency of confronting the Chinese Communist Party and reiterated U.S. support for Israel, while also discussing the complexities of negotiating peace to end the war in Ukraine.

Rubio’s confirmation appears all but assured, with Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) announcing his support for Rubio’s nomination on Monday. This endorsement suggests that Rubio will likely receive broad bipartisan support when the Senate votes on his confirmation to become the next Secretary of State.

Early on in the transition period between Donald Trump’s incoming administration and Joe Biden’s outgoing administration, it was not clear whether his picks would have the support from Republicans in the Senate to make it across the finish line. Now, most of his picks seem to be a lock for confirmation in their final votes.

Some more conservative voices in Donald Trump’s base, however, are concerned that Marco Rubio is more aligned with the “warhawk” end of the political spectrum and can do real damage in the role as Secretary of State. Rubio has recently tried to lay those worries to rest with assurances that he would not seek to get the United States involved in any new wars or shady military industrial complex practices.

The Federalist Wire will bring you any updates to the Marco Rubio confirmation process.