Rick Scott pushes Lara Trump for Rubio Senate seat

• Scott joins Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) who have also said Lara Trump is their pick to fill the seat being vacated by Rubio who has been nominated for Secretary of State.
• Scott's endorsement comes just a day after he lost a bid to be Senate majority leader, despite loud and widespread support from influential MAGA voices.

What he's saying: Earlier this week, Scott had been less committed — saying there were many "wonderful people" who could fill the seat, including Trump in the list. But as of Thursday, he was publicly pushing for Trump on X.

• "I've known her for a long time. Actually knew her before I met Eric Trump," Scott told Axios, saying he met her early during his time as governor of Florida.
• He said Trump "did a great job with the RNC. She's great spokesperson. She's conservative."

The big picture: It will ultimately be DeSantis' choice. The Florida governor has a complex and sometimes rocky relationships with both Scott and President-elect Trump.

• Desantis' own chief of staff James Uthmeier and the state's attorney general, Ashley Moody are also considered top options for the seat.
• DeSantis is term-limited as governor after his term ends in 2027, and he could try to reserve the Senate seat for himself. But he also may not want to risk becoming enemy No. 1 in Trumpworld if he plans to run for office in the future.