Lara Trump announces she is stepping down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee

Lara Trump, President-elect Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law, announced Sunday evening that she will step down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee amid growing speculation that she could be chosen to fill an upcoming Senate vacancy.

Trump, who became co-chair of the RNC in March with the support of her father-in-law, said Sunday on X that she plans to step down at the next meeting of the RNC after achieving her three goals for the organization.

“At the RNC, we had three clear goals: 1) to exceed all fundraising records, 2) to build the largest army of lawyers and poll watchers to ensure the integrity of the election, and 3) to protect millions of Americans and low-turnout voters in the election to convince people to vote early. We “I achieved all three,” she wrote in the post.

The RNC did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Sunday.

Trump’s name has been floated as a possible replacement for Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, whom the president-elect has said he will nominate as secretary of state. Several Trump family allies have named her as someone they would like to see take the job, and she herself has not rejected the possibility.

“If I were tapped for another role, it would really be an honor for me,” she told Fox News last month. “I haven’t been asked yet, but I would definitely seriously consider it if presented to me.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a former political rival who ran against Donald Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, will be able to choose Rubio’s successor. DeSantis is also reportedly being considered as a replacement for Pete Hegseth, the embattled candidate for defense secretary. A source told NBC News last week that the president-elect and DeSantis spoke directly about the issue.

“Trump has spoken to the governor and wants him to,” said a source familiar with the conversation.

NBC News reported last week that Hegseth’s nomination was in jeopardy as up to six Republican senators wavered in their support for him amid alcohol allegations and reports of his treatment of women.

Hegseth, who has vowed not to withdraw as Trump’s nominee, denied that he had mistreated women and said the encounter with the woman who accused him of sexual assault and with whom he later reached an undisclosed settlement, was amicable. When asked about the alcohol allegations Tuesday night, he did not respond.