Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, has withdrawn herself from consideration to replace outgoing Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who Mr Trump has nominated for secretary of state in his incoming administration.

“After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate,” Ms Trump said in a statement on X on Saturday.

There had been speculations that with influence from Mr Trump, Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis could consider Ms Trump, who recently stepped down as the co-chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, as his choice to replace Mr Rubio upon his confirmation next year. 

However, Ms Trump has now personally withdrawn herself from consideration and wished Mr DeSantis luck in hand-picking a replacement to serve the remainder of Rubio’s six-year term, which ends in 2026.

She added, “I remain incredibly passionate about public service and look forward to serving our country again sometime in the future. In the meantime, I wish Governor DeSantis the best of luck with this appointment.”

“I do have a big announcement that I’m excited to share in January, so, stay tuned.”