FLORIDA GOV. RON DESANTIS COULD REPLACE PETE HEGSETH AS DEFENSE SECRETARY
President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet is off to a rough start. First, Matt Gaetz is replaced by Pam Bondi for U.S. Attorney General after being tied to a variety of sexual misconduct allegations. Now, he’s facing a similar situation with his pick for Secretary of Defense. Although noted Fox News personality and Army National Guard Veteran Pete Hegseth was picked to take on the role, allegations are causing a potential shift. Though nothing is firm as of this writing, what we do know is Trump is looking to a previous presidential rival for the job—Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
When Does Ron DeSantis’ Term End?
Ron DeSantis is set to be Florida’s governor until early 2027, when many believe he will take on another presidential run. However, he may be leaving early to serve as one of Trump’s cabinet heads for the role of Secretary of Defense.
If DeSantis does leave his position as governor early, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez would take on the job.
In doing so, Nuñez would become not only the first female governor Florida has ever had but also the first Cuban one as well.
While serving the public in the Sunshine State, Nuñez has led the Florida Department of Health and served as the Chair of Space Florida and as the Chair of Florida’s Cybersecurity Task Force, among other roles.
Ron DeSantis being selected by Trump stems from similar allegations that have already hindered the president-elect’s cabinet as his inauguration on January 20, 2025, draws closer.
Replacing Hegseth as Secretary of Defense
Trump is looking to Ron DeSantis to potentially take over as the Defense Secretary after sexual assault allegations and allegations involving the abuse of alcohol came to light in connection with Pete Hegseth.
There is still hope for Hegseth, who will meet with Senators. However, his lack of experience and less-than-ideal reputation are posing threats to his potential nomination.
Hegseth has been reportedly taken out of multiple leadership positions for the allegations mentioned above as well as possible mismanagement.
To be confirmed, Hegseth can’t afford to lose many, if any, Republicans in the Senate and while he’s hoping an interview and his meetings with politicians will help, some insiders believe it’s too little too late.
Ron DeSantis Endorsed Trump and Now It May Pay Off
It wasn’t too long ago that both men with Florida ties were vying for the position of POTUS during the 2024 presidential election.
As we know now, DeSantis would drop out of the race, and ultimately, Trump would be elected to a second term as President.
In the midst of all of this, Ron DeSantis endorsing Trump could become a great political move that will put him in a powerful position to directly influence policies that affect our nation’s military.
This includes a variety of initiatives aiming to help Trump get rid of “wokeness” among leadership in the military, banning transgender warfighters, getting rid of diversity initiatives in the military, and reinstating troops who refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
Despite a variety of personal attacks becoming increasingly normal in modern politics, DeSantis and Trump have patched things up and could collaborate over our nation’s defenses in 2025.
The Florida governor dropped out of the presidential race following the Iowa Caucuses, and is now one of the latest picks from the Sunshine State Trump is turning to for assistance.
Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Mike Waltz also hold political positions in Florida and are joining Trump in the White House.
Whether or not Ron DeSantis becomes the Secretary of Defense is still hanging in the balance but should the conditions present themself and the governor decides to accept, the Sunshine State will have a lot of decisions to make about its own political framework.
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