Senate Republicans are thrilled that Lara Trump, the Republican National Committee co-chair, is being floated as a potential replacement for Sen. Marco Rubio if he is confirmed as secretary of state.
And for her would-be colleagues in the Senate, that she’s President-elect Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law doesn’t hurt.
“She’d have a lot of access, more than we would, to the White House,” Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville said with a laugh. “But she would be a good representative. That’s what you do. You’re representing your state and again, I think that that’d be very beneficial.”
Republicans in the Senate say Lara Trump’s efforts in her RNC role, which she’s held since March, were one of the reasons her father-in-law was reelected and why they’re so impressed with her. They also insisted that if she became a senator, it wouldn’t impact the chamber’s ability to serve as a check on the president-elect.
Her position at the RNC was widely seen as part of a broader takeover of the party by Donald Trump once he secured the GOP presidential nomination. (Lara Trump is married to the president-elect’s son Eric.)
It’s not fully clear yet who Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who would appoint Rubio’s replacement, is considering. But he said this week he’s received “strong interest from several possible candidates,” and added that his selection would “likely” be made at the start of January. Other names in the mix reportedly include Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, former Florida House Speaker José Oliva and Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez.
“If I’m asked to serve in the capacity of the United States Senate, it’s something I’d consider,” Trump said in a radio interview Monday. She also told the “Cats & Cosby” radio show that she hadn’t spoken to DeSantis about it.
The RNC and Trump transition team did not respond to requests for comment.
After Rubio was selected last Wednesday as Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, Lara Trump’s name was quickly floated by some of the president-elect’s allies, including Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Florida Sen. Rick Scott.
“If you look at the leadership that she exhibited over this last election, what she did at the RNC, not only getting the vote out but making sure that we protected the process, was truly incredible,” Britt told NOTUS.
After Trump took her role at the RNC, the committee saw a major increase in fundraising. (She’s been credited as being a boost in drawing in donors.)
Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley agreed that Trump would be a great fit for the Senate, citing improvements made to the RNC compared to past cycles.
“I mean, it’s not about her last name, it’s about her,” Hawley said. “And I think she’s really impressive. I mean, it’s not my decision, and nobody cares what I think on this issue. But I think she’s impressive.”
The Associated Press reported that at the time she was appointed, some Republicans questioned if her installation would harm candidates in down-ballot races.
DeSantis would have to wait until Rubio is confirmed to appoint his replacement, but some Democrats have praised Rubio’s work on foreign affairs and admitted that they could see themselves voting to confirm him.
Graham says that Trump has earned her the right to be mentioned in the conversation due to her hard work.
When asked if he’s concerned that the Senate would have trouble checking the president-elect with a Trump family member in it, Graham’s response was simple, “No.”
He wasn’t the only one not worried about whether her presence in the Senate would strengthen Trump’s grip on Congress as an institution.
“I have no concern at all about having her in the room,” Britt said. “And in fact, I think that perspective and ability to talk through things and figure out a pathway forward would be tremendous for the country.”
Democrats laughed at the notion of having another Trump in Congress. Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper said that he doesn’t know much about Lara Trump, but she must have “done a pretty good job” given the Republicans’ dominance in this year’s elections.
“So she must know what she’s doing in the political sense,” Hickenlooper said. “But I don’t know what, in terms of what, that qualifies her for as a senator.”
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Torrence Banks is a NOTUS reporter and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow.