By Susan Ferrechio The Washington Times Friday, December 6, 2024
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will attend the Army-Navy football game in Landover, Maryland, next week with President-elect Donald Trump in a rare joint appearance by the two former political opponents, a source confirmed Friday.
Mr. DeSantis, who ran against Mr. Trump in the GOP primary before dropping out, will catch the game following conversations with the president-elect about a Cabinet position.
Those with first-hand knowledge said Mr. Trump has spoken with Mr. DeSantis, a former Navy officer, about becoming defense secretary if the current nominee, Army combat veteran Pete Hegseth, fails to win confirmation in the Senate.
Some Senate Republicans, among them Joni Ernst of Iowa and at least five others, have cast doubt about backing Mr. Hegseth amid reports of past misconduct, including allegations of sexual assault, infidelity in his first two marriages, financial mismanagement of veteran organizations he ran and excessive drinking around co-workers.
Mr. Hegseth, 44, who rose to the rank of major and cohosted “Fox & Friends,” has denied the charges and said he won’t drop out of the running for the Pentagon post.
Many in the MAGA movement cheer him on enthusiastically, and Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social Friday that Mr. Hegseth’s support in the Senate is strong and “much more than the Fake News would have you believe.”
Mr. DeSantis, 46, is serving a second term and is viewed in GOP circles as a highly effective governor who has trimmed waste, extinguished DEI policies and shepherded the state through catastrophic hurricanes.
He was once considered a top contender for the presidential nomination and ran ahead of Mr. Trump in some early polls. But the former president quickly dominated the race once the primaries started. Mr. DeSantis placed second in the Iowa caucuses and dropped out ahead of the New Hampshire primary.
Along the way, he earned the enmity of Mr. Trump, who attacked him with derogatory nicknames that stopped once the governor endorsed him.
Those close to Mr. DeSantis say the two have repaired their relationship.
The Army-Navy game is slated for Dec. 14 at Northwest Stadium, home of the Washington Commanders.
