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Lara Trump removes herself from consideration for Marco Rubio’s US Senate seat

Lara Trump, President-elect Trump’s daughter-in-law, said Saturday she is removing herself from consideration for Florida Republican Marco Rubio’s seat in the U.S. Senate. 

"After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate," she wrote on X Saturday. 

The president-elect has nominated Rubio to be secretary of state. 

"I could not have been more honored to serve as RNC co-chair during the most high-stakes election of our lifetime and I’m truly humbled by the unbelievable support shown to me by the people of our country, and here in the great state of Florida," Lara Trump added.

TRUMP SAYS HE DOESN'T EXPECT DESANTIS TO NAME DAUGHTER-IN-LAW LARA TRUMP AS RUBIO'S SENATE REPLACEMENT

Trump, the wife of Eric Trump, the president-elect’s son, stepped down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee earlier this month.

" I have read so many of your kind messages and I cannot thank you enough," Lara Trump said, adding she has a "big announcement that I’m excited to share in January."

She said she remains "incredibly passionate about public service and (looks) forward to serving our country again sometime in the future. In the meantime, I wish Governor DeSantis the best of luck with this appointment."

The president-elect had previously pressed DeSantis to name Lara as Rubio's replacement, a source in his political orbit told Fox News Digital, but he later told reporters he didn't necessarily expect him to select her. 

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"That's his choice," the president-elect added. 

Rubio’s senate replacement will be appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and will serve the remaining two years of Rubio's term. 

In 2026, the seat will be open for a full six-year term. 

Lara Trump had previously said she was "seriously considering" the position, although she wasn’t sure it was right for her. 

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DeSantis previously said he would make an appointment by early January. 

Lara Trump did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Marco Rubio's son scores first collegiate touchdown in Florida’s blowout victory over Tulane in bowl game

It was a proud moment for Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida when his son, Anthony Rubio, scored his first collegiate touchdown in the Florida Gators’ blowout victory over Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl on Friday night. 

Anthony Rubio, a walk-on to the team, scored on a late nine-yard run with just over a minute remaining to extend Florida’s lopsided lead to 33-8 in what marked the Gator’s fourth straight victory. 

"Great to finish the right way," Florida coach Billy Napier said of the play. 

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The game was already decided at that point, but Rubio’s teammates rushed to crowd around him and celebrate his first score in his first college football game.

"It was insane," he told Florida beat writer Jesse Simmons of his teammate's celebration. "First, I want to thank God for that, it wouldn’t have happened [without] Him." 

INDIANA’S CURT CIGNETTI EXPLAINS HEAD-SCRATCHING CALL TO PUNT IN LOSS TO NOTRE DAME: ‘DIDN’T WANT TO DO IT’

As any proud parent would, Senator Rubio took to social media to praise his son’s accomplishments. 

"Happy my son scored," he wrote in a post on X. "But what I am truly proud of is the joy from his teammates and that he gave all the glory to God." 

Rubio joined the Gators’ football program as a walk-on running back in 2023. He redshirted his first year and didn’t see any action until Friday’s game. He wrapped up the game with 32 rushing yards and one score on the ground. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Trump says he doesn't expect DeSantis to name daughter-in-law Lara Trump as Rubio's Senate replacement

President-elect Trump says he doesn't think Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will name his daughter-in-law Lara Trump to succeed Sen. Marco Rubio in the Senate.

"No, I don’t. I probably don't. But I don’t know," Trump said Monday as he took questions from reporters at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. "Ron’s doing a good job. That’s his choice – nothing to do with me."

Trump last month announced that he would nominate Rubio, the three-term senator from Florida and a senior Republican member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees, to serve as secretary of state in his incoming administration.

TRUMP PRESSES DESANTIS TO NAME DAUGHTER-IN-LAW TO SUCCEED RUBIO IN SENATE

Since then, the president-elect and some top Trump allies have recommended that Lara Trump, who from March until a week ago served as Republican National Committee co-chair, fill the next two years of Rubio's term in the Senate.

DeSantis has said he'll make a decision on the Rubio Senate replacement by early next month.

DESANTIS SETS TIMETABLE TO NAME RUBIO SENATE SUCCESSOR

Trump on Monday praised his daughter-in-law, saying, "Lara's unbelievable. She was incredible. The job she did at the RNC…. she is so highly respected."

And he added that Lara Trump is highly sought after.

"I also know that Lara got so many other things. I mean she's got so many other things. People want her to be on television. They want to give her contracts," Trump said. "She's got so many other things that she's talking about."

The president-elect also praised Rubio, but added, "He leaves a vacancy in Florida and Ron's going to have to make that decision. And he'll make the right decision."

Sources have confirmed to Fox News that Trump told DeSantis that he would like to see his daughter-in-law succeed Rubio. But Republican sources in Florida suggest that DeSantis is more likely to name someone who's held public office in the Sunshine State.

And Lara Trump, in interviews with Fox News and the AP, has said she would "seriously consider" serving Florida in the Senate.

DeSantis, a one-time Trump ally who clashed with the former president last year and early this year during a very contentious 2024 GOP presidential nomination race, mended relations a bit with the former president after the primary season, as he endorsed Trump and helped raise money for the Republican nominee's general election campaign.

"Florida deserves a senator who will help President Trump deliver on his election mandate, be strong on immigration and border security, take on the entrenched bureaucracy and administrative state, reverse the nation’s fiscal decline, be animated by conservative principles, and has a proven record of results," DeSantis said last month.

And he noted at the time that "we have already received strong interest from several possible candidates, and we continue to gather names of additional candidates and conduct preliminary vetting. More extensive vetting and candidate interviews will be conducted over the next few weeks, with a selection likely made by the beginning of January."

The formal confirmation process for Rubio by his fellow senators won’t kick off until after Trump is sworn into office on Jan. 20.

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