It would be Treasury Day at Mar-a-Lago, or so the team of newly elected President Donald Trump thought.
As top aides milled about and continued to build an administration from Trump’s West Palm Beach residence last Thursday, there was at least some expectation that morning that the next big announcement would be a pick for Treasury secretary.
Then everything changed.
“I will be withdrawing my name from serving as Attorney General,” former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz posted on social media. “Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.”
Gaetz withdrew when it became clear that allegations of sexual misconduct and a related House Ethics Committee investigation would make it virtually impossible for him to be confirmed as the nation’s top law enforcement official. He will not return to Congress.
Trump’s team didn’t back down and quickly found another attorney general pick with two traits that both Gaetz and a growing number of early administration staffers and appointees had: loyalty to Trump and a strong bona fides to Florida.
Just six hours after Gaetz withdrew his name, Trump announced he had picked two-term former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, a staunch Trump ally who helped him spread baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
Two Floridians separately tapped to fill the important role of attorney general are a snapshot of how the early days of Trump’s second go-around in the White House will be heavily influenced by staff and political appointees from his adopted home state. some of the state’s most prominent lobbyists. It’s a direct reflection of how Florida’s role on the national political stage has been reoriented during recent election cycles.
Once the nation’s largest swing state, Florida is now filled with Trump allies and a comfortable home for Republicans. It’s a state that Trump won by more than 10 percentage points, compared to his three-point victory in 2020.
“Florida became a government in exile for the Trump world,” Evan Power, chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, said of Trump making Mar-a-Lago central to his post-White House political life. “Combine that with the conservative successes we’ve had in Florida, and the fact that the state has a very deep Republican seat at the federal level, then it’s no surprise that this has become the epicenter.”
For Trump, choosing Bondi was a no-brainer.
“It made sense from the first moment that Gaetz withdrew,” said a Trump ally familiar with the process. “Trump liked her going back to 2016, and I think they would always find a place for her in government. This just opened that door.”
“It happened so quickly because it made so much sense,” the person added.
Bondi’s quick selection was also indicative of how Trump views the role of attorney general, especially as he prepares a series of executive actions on Day 1, many of which are expected to face legal challenges.
“You need an attorney general on Day 1 to implement your plan,” one Trump official said. “That may not be the case for all cabinet departments, but it is the case here.”
At least five Floridians have been tapped by Trump for high-profile jobs, including Gaetz and Bondi, Sen. Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, Florida Rep. Mike Walz as National Security Advisor and former Florida Rep. Dave Weldon to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Florida has a huge talent pool, so none of this surprises me,” said Florida-based lobbyist Nick Iarossi, who raised money for Trump’s campaign and was himself announced as managing director at Washington-based lobbying shop BGR Group after Trump won. “I’m a little surprised other states aren’t pushing back harder, but they just aren’t.”
“But to some extent that makes sense,” Iarossi added of the state Trump won easily. “Trump is not just trying to reward states that helped him politically, but is trying to find people who are loyal to him and philosophically aligned. He tries to get things done.”
Some of Trump’s top White House aides are also Floridians. His chief of staff will be Susie Wiles, a longtime Florida aide who ran Trump’s first two campaigns in that state, and James Blair, a longtime deputy to Wiles who was tapped to serve as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for legislative affairs. , political and public affairs.
It’s the continuation of a Florida-flavored presidential campaign led by Wiles, with Blair as political director, Florida-based pollster Tony Fabrizio as top pollster and longtime Florida GOP operatives Brian Hughes, Danielle Alvarez and Alex Garcia in various senior positions. level advisory roles.
The common thread through them all is, for the most part, Wiles. She has long been one of Trump’s top advisers. She was co-chair of the Florida campaign during his first two races, and co-chair of the national campaign during his 2024 run.
Much of Florida’s influence, aside from the fact that Trump himself lives in the state and has become personally involved in its politics, was driven by her, as she hired trusted delegates and former aides to fill out the campaign. the administration.
“Susie definitely brings a Florida approach,” said Brian Ballard, a Florida-based lobbyist and Trump fundraiser. “She is a national player, but obviously has deep roots and connections in Florida. The many people from Florida you see going into administration are in no small part thanks to her.”
Ballard’s firm, Ballard Partners, previously counted among its lobbyists both Wiles and Bondi, who joined the firm after her term as Florida attorney general was curtailed.
In addition, Continental, a Miami-based lobbying firm led by Carols Trujillo, who served as ambassador to the Organization of American States during Trump’s first administration, opened its first office in Washington after Trump’s election victory. That office will be led by Katie Wiles, the daughter of the president’s new chief of staff.
“It’s not just those guys,” a longtime Florida lobbyist told NBC News. “You can see it in different areas. As more Florida heavyweights join the Trump world, it will have a positive impact on Florida lobbyists, even those who may not have a traditional DC footprint.”
“It’s the way of life in the world,” the person added.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
