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President Donald Trump has told confidants that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is "begging for" a position in his administration, including that of attorney general, according to an exclusive report by Axios published this Tuesday.
The revelation comes after a lunch the two had last Sunday at the Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami, where DeSantis reportedly expressed interest in several high-ranking positions.
"Ron was begging me to be attorney general," Trump said to a confidant, who relayed the comment to Axios.
Six informed sources about the conversations confirmed to the media that DeSantis has also expressed interest in being Secretary of Defense and even in securing a seat on the Supreme Court of the United States.
DeSantis must leave the governorship of Florida at the end of his second term in January 2027 and is "looking for what to do next," according to one source, who added that Trump is leaning towards considering helping someone who was his protégé, then rival, and now ally.
However, other sources provide nuance to the picture. "DeSantis is not at all interested in the position of attorney general, but he would be interested in two things: Secretary of War or the Supreme Court, which would be his dream job," said a source familiar with the discussions.
That same source noted that DeSantis and the conservative judge Clarence Thomas have "almost a father-son relationship," and that appointing him to the Supreme Court "would be a great legacy for Trump."
Conversations between the two intensified in recent weeks following the dismissal of Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security and the dismissal of Pam Bondi as Attorney General, which took place on April 2.
Todd Blanche, former personal lawyer to Trump and number two in the Department of Justice under Bondi, took office as acting Attorney General.
According to an advisor, Blanche has "about 90 days to prove what she can do."
Despite the apparent reconciliation, sources close to Trump warn that the past rivalry is not entirely forgotten. "What's done is done. But that doesn't mean people forget," said an advisor.
The main obstacle to a potential appointment as attorney general would be distrust. "There is a compelling reason why the president would not choose Ron as attorney general: there is a too high probability that he would attempt to betray the president," warned another source.
"Trump needs someone in the Department of Justice whom he can trust completely. But the Department of Defense, the Supreme Court, or anything else, of course."
The spokesperson for DeSantis, Alex Lanfranconi, dismissed the reports in a statement: "Some media outlets prefer to focus on false rumors instead of the many achievements of Florida's partnership with the Trump administration."
Lanfranconi added that "the governor hopes to continue working with President Trump on the enforcement of immigration laws, the restoration of the Everglades, and the reform of college athletics."
Trump had already considered DeSantis to lead the Department of Defense after his re-election in 2024, but he ultimately chose Pete Hegseth.
Sources indicated that Trump would seriously consider him for that position if Hegseth left the role, although the Secretary of Defense currently maintains a good standing with the president.
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