President-elect Donald Trump has tapped four Floridians for top spots in his next administration.
Trump took the Republican Party by surprise last week when he nominated Congressman Matt Gaetz for U.S. Attorney General. Trump also ended days of rumors by confirming U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio as his pick for Secretary of State. If the Senate confirms him, Rubio would be the first Latino to hold the position.
Trump has also asked Congressman Mike Waltz to be his national security advisor and Susie Wiles to be his Chief of Staff, two roles that do not need to be confirmed by the Senate.
Trump also endorsed Sen. Rick Scott as leader of the Republican Party in the Senate, a race Scott lost on Wednesday to Sen. John Thune of South Dakota.
WUFT’s Áine Pennello spoke with University of Florida political professor Daniel Smith about what Trump’s Florida picks mean for national politics.
Aine Pennello: Why do you think President-elect Donald Trump is tapping so many Florida Republicans for top jobs in his administration and what does he hope to gain by these choices?
Daniel Smith: The United States has been taken over by Florida. We're all Floridians as a result of this election. Donald Trump is someone who rewards his loyalists. There are certainly several individuals who have earned that loyalty over time. There are others who have been able to sublimate their egos after being called out by Donald Trump. There are some that have portrayed that strongman persona that Donald Trump sees in himself and that he respects in leaders. And there are others who are willing to just do his bidding. And I think those four characteristics kind of hit on these individuals. They all have various characteristics that Donald Trump likes in individuals.
Áine Pennello: What do you make of Trump nominating Matt Gaetz to be the next US Attorney General?
Daniel Smith: Matt Gaetz is the quintessential 'Florida Man.' The son of a wealthy, powerful Tallahassee politician, the ne'er-do-well scion is Trump’s mini-me. Many in D.C. think he's unfit to be the incoming president's Attorney General, and perhaps Trump is merely trolling not only Democrats, but many Republican members of the U.S. Senate who despise Gaetz's bad-boy reputation and over-the-top, performative antics. It was not necessary, of course, for Gaetz to announce his immediate resignation from Congress to become an appointee in the next Administration. Rather, it has more to do with the House Ethics report on Gaetz's improprieties that he wants deep-sixed.
Áine Pennello: What can we expect of Marco Rubio as US Secretary of State and how will his seat in the Senate be filled?
Daniel Smith: Donald Trump berated Rubio and demeaned him during the 2016 presidential Republican nomination bid calling him ‘little Marco,’ among other things. Marco Rubio knew how to genuflect after he realized he was not going to be the presidential nominee for the Republicans. He bent on knee and asked Donald Trump what he could do and Donald Trump respects that. If you go against Donald Trump and do not show the proper deference, he's going to drop you like a 10-pound weight.
When it comes to filling Rubio’s Senate seat, there are a lot of really interesting scenarios being considered. We've heard Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Núñez might be a possibility. A Cuban American female, that certainly would be a big feather in the cap for not only Latinos and Latinas, but also for the movement that we saw quite drastically this last election in Florida with Hispanics moving towards the Republican Party.
There are other names that are floating around, from sitting members of Congress to other executive officers, Attorney General Ashley Moody being one who has been bandied around. This is something that I'm sure Governor Ron DeSantis is going to have to think long and hard about.
He also might just try to put a placeholder in there. Maybe his current Chief of Staff who would agree not to run in this special election that would be happening in November 2026.
Áine Pennello: What about Mike Waltz? What does Trump see in him as his national security advisor and how will Waltz’s seat be replaced in Central Florida?
Daniel Smith: Donald Trump supported Mike Waltz when he ran for Congress. He's a third term member from the Palm Coast area on the eastern side of Florida. He's a Green Beret, a military veteran, served in the National Guard, very smart individual in the House. And he's someone who Trump respects because of his forward-facing strength. We don't really know if they're going to come to odds because they're both very forceful and have positions on a lot of contentious issues with respect to what's going on in the world and relations with China, Iran, North Korea and Russia. That remains to be seen, but Waltz certainly was early on in his endorsement of Donald Trump rather than Ron DeSantis for the 2024 presidential nomination in the Republican Party.
Once Waltz leaves the House, his seat in District 6 will become open and a special election will have to be called. There are already Republicans lining up, I'm sure, over in the Palm Coast area of Florida looking to run for this very conservative Republican leaning district. And because the U. S. House of Representatives is fairly close, it's really important to get that seat filled as quickly as possible to keep the Republican majority in store.
Áine Pennello: And lastly, tell me about Susie Wiles, the first female White House Chief of Staff.
Daniel Smith: Susie Wiles has the characteristics of a very forceful, but very demure and quiet behind-the-scenes female leader. She ran Donald Trump's Florida campaign in 2016. She ran Ron DeSantis’ very narrow victory in 2018 as governor, was dissed by the governor and then decided to go back to Trumplandia, ran his super PAC, and has been a fearless defender of Donald Trump, but in a very behind-the-scenes, not taking any thunder from Donald Trump way and has been rewarded. It's going to be a very difficult position for her with a bunch of other egos and MAGA Republicans, because I don't think she is a MAGA Republican. She's just a very good political strategist.
