Lara Trump will step down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee as she considers a number of possible options as her father-in-law, President-elect Donald Trump, is set to return to the White House.
One of those options is replacing Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who Trump had ambitions to become the next Secretary of State. If Rubio is confirmed, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will choose who will hold the seat for the remainder of Rubio’s term, which ends in 2026.
“It’s something I would seriously consider,” she told The Associated Press in an interview. “Being completely transparent, I don’t know exactly what that would look like. And I certainly want to get all the information I can if that’s something that’s real for me. But yes, I would 100% consider it.”
Lara Trump was elected co-chair of the RNC in March and was a key player in Republicans’ retake of the White House and control of the Senate, while simultaneously narrow majority in the House of Representatives. What she does next could shape Republican politics, given her heightened political profile and ties to the incoming president.
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The idea of putting a Trump family member in the Senate is being praised in some Republican circles. Among those pushing for her to replace Rubio is Maye Musk, the mother of Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
“The Senate is an old men’s club. We desperately need a smart, young, outspoken woman who will reveal their secrets,” she posted on X. Lara Trump is 42.
Elon Musk, who was with Lara Trump on election night at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, responded to his mother’s post: “Lara Trump is really amazing.”
Under the leadership of Chairman Michael Whatley and Lara Trump, the RNC invested heavily in recruiting some 230,000 volunteers and an army of lawyers for what it called its “election integrity” efforts four years after Donald Trump lost his reelection bid to Democrat Joe Biden, under reference to false statements. or unproven theories of voter fraud. Outside groups such as Turning Point Action and Musk’s America PAC took on greater responsibility for advertising and get-out-the-vote efforts.
Although Whatley will remain RNC chair, Lara Trump said she felt she had accomplished her goals in the co-chair role.
“With that big win, I feel like my time is up,” she said. “What I set out to do is done.”
Lara Trump praised Musk’s new venture, the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, a non-governmental task force led by Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. They have been deployed to lay off federal workers, cut programs and cut federal regulations as part of Trump’s “Save America” agenda for his second term.
“I really don’t think in many ways we’ve seen a movement like this in our federal government since the founding of our country,” she said. “And I think if they are successful in what they set out to do, it will be transformative for America in a tremendous way.”
She said she expects a different presidency this time, starting with the structure of the government: While Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner served as White House advisers during his last administration, Lara Trump said she doesn’t see any family members who this time holds a position in the White House together with her father-in-law.
“He really wants to get in there and do a good job over the next four years, and that’s all he wants to serve,” she said. “Four years and he’s out.”
Lara Trump also says she expects the Republican Party to be more united than ever before. When she became co-chair in May, the Trump campaign and the RNC merged, laying off staffers and restructuring positions. She said the outcome could spell trouble for Republican lawmakers who disagree with Trump’s agenda.
“The whole party has completely changed and completely changed,” she said. “I think people feel a little bolder about putting their political views out there.”
