Trump’s short-lived challenger Ron DeSantis is ‘begging’ him for a job in administration, report says

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who once unsuccessfully ran against President Donald Trump, is reportedly “begging” the president for a top role in the administration as he seeks a new job ahead of his term ending this year. While dining with the president at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami, the outgoing Florida governor allegedly asked the president to become the next attorney general, Trump told a confidant, according to Axios.However, an unnamed source told the news outlet that DeSantis was “not interested” in becoming the next AG. Rather, DeSantis would want to serve as the next Secretary for the Department of Defense, should Secretary Pete Hegseth ever leave, or his “dream job” as a Supreme Court justice, a source claimed. “Governor De Santis enjoys a great relationship with President Trump,” Alex Lanfranconi, communications director for DeSantis, said in a statement. “Some in the media prefer to focus on fake rumors rather than the many accomplishments of Florida's partnership with the Trump administration. The governor looks forward to continuing to work with President Trump on enforcing immigration laws, restoring the Everglades, and helping to reform college athletics,” Lanfranconi added. Governor Ron DeSantis has had a positive relationship with President Donald Trump since dropping out of the 2024 presidential race (AFP/Getty)The Independent has asked the White House for comment.Trump and DeSantis were once political rivals, both vying for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. The two exchanged barbs during the primaries, though Trump famously more so than DeSantis.But still, DeSantis insinuated Trump was too old for office; he called Trump “juvenile” and his attacks “phony,” and the governor criticized the president’s fundraising going toward attorney fees. But once DeSantis dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump, the president officially retired his “Ron DeSanctimonious” nickname, seemingly putting the governor back on his nice list. The two’s relationship has grown positively – when asked in March if he would consider adding DeSantis to his administration, Trump said he would “certainly consider” the possibility and told reporters, “I think he’s good.”When asked about his relationship with DeSantis in July, while touring Alligator Alcatraz, the remote immigration detention facility that has been accused of inhumanely treating its detainees, Trump said their relationship was “a 10.”“I think it’s a 10. Maybe 9.9. I think we have a 10. We get along great,” Trump told reporters at the time. Trump reportedly considered DeSantis as a potential Secretary of Defense nominee after Hegseth faced a series of controversies that threatened to upend his confirmation. Trump once told reporters he would ‘certainly’ consider adding DeSantis to his administration once the Florida governor’s term is up in January (AFP/Getty)DeSantis, who served in the Navy and worked as a Judge Advocate General at Guantanamo Bay, may still be a strong contender for the cabinet-level position if Hegseth were to ever leave, a source told Axios. While DeSantis could be considered for the Defense Department, the source told the news organization that the Florida governor would more likely want to be a justice on the nation’s highest court – a coveted job that comes with a lifetime appointment. DeSantis graduated from Harvard Law School in 2005. He has been a staunch ally of Justice Clarence Thomas, with whom he is said to have a “father-son relationship,” a source told Axios. As of now, there are no open seats on the Supreme Court. But rumors have circulated that Thomas or Justice Samuel Alito, a conservative justice whom DeSantis has also defended, could step down – giving Trump yet another nominee, having seen three of his nominees appointed to the court in his first term.