TALLAHASSEE, Florida — One by one, Florida Republicans on Thursday night effusively praised the selection of veteran political operative Susie Wiles as chief of staff for President-elect Donald Trump.
In a flurry of social media posts by Floridians, Sen. Rick Scott called her a “true leader” and a “brilliant tactician.” State Sen. Joe Gruters called Wiles “first class.” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna called her “amazing” and an “absolute 10/10 pick.” Sen. Marco Rubio called her a “strong, intelligent woman.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis, who had a falling out with Wiles after she helped orchestrate his first successful run for governor in 2018, remained silent.
And it may stay that way.
While DeSantis did have a rapprochement with Trump after DeSantis’ unsuccessful bid for president, it does not appear to have extended to Wiles. Trump and DeSantis, for example, met at a golf club back in April for a lengthy meeting that did not include any staff present, according to two people briefed on the meeting at the time.
The 67-year-old Wiles has been a fixture in Florida politics for years, including stepping forward to help out Scott during his 2010 run for governor against the state’s Republican attorney general, who was being backed by most of the state’s GOP establishment.
Now she’s set to be one of the most powerful figures in Trump’s second administration, after successfully navigating the former president’s campaign — where she helped bulldoze his path back to the White House by, in part, crushing DeSantis’ presidential aspirations.
It’s not clear exactly how Wiles’ position will impact DeSantis — or more importantly the state. During Trump’s first term in office, he was persuaded by DeSantis and Rep. Matt Gaetz to bolster the level of aid being sent to the state after Hurricane Michael. DeSantis was also a frequent visitor to the White House.
Trump is also now a resident of the Sunshine State, changing his residency from New York during his first term.
And after his failed presidential bid, DeSantis worked to repair his relationship with Trump. He fundraised for the former president, and the two golfed together in September, POLITICO previously reported. The governor launched a state investigation into the second apparent assassination attempt against Trump, which the once-and-future president praised him for. Yet between the incoming White House chief and the Republican governor, things appear to have not cooled.
Still, Florida operatives close to Wiles stressed that it would not hurt the state, even if she and the governor no longer had a relationship.
“Susie is a pro, she defeated the guy one-on-one,” one veteran Florida political operative said, who like others for this story was granted anonymity to discuss the pair’s relationship freely. “It’s not like federal disaster aid is going to be withheld.”
The governor’s office on Friday did not respond to a request for comment on Wiles’ new post as chief of staff. The Trump transition team did not respond to a question about Wiles and DeSantis.
It wasn’t always this way. Wiles has worked on three separate Trump campaigns but also came in to help guide DeSantis’ campaign for governor in 2018 after he won the Republican primary that year. DeSantis had defeated his opponent — Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam — with the help of a Trump endorsement, but his campaign was seen to be in trouble before Wiles was brought on board.
Wiles, who helmed Trump’s Florida campaign in 2016, was lined up to do it again for the 2020 campaign when she was pushed out at the urging of DeSantis. POLITICO reported at the time that DeSantis suspected she bore responsibility — unfairly her friends say — for the leak of internal correspondence showing how the new governor appeared to be selling access to special interests on golfing trips. Wiles was also pressured to part ways with Ballard Partners, a top state lobby firm.
Many Republican operatives were surprised by the move. And even now, one veteran political operative called it the “dumbest” thing that DeSantis has done during his time as governor. Trump ultimately would bring Wiles back for his 2020 campaign, and she would eventually become one of his most trusted and senior advisers in the aftermath of his defeat.
During this year's GOP primary, Trump’s campaign — which included several staffers who had bad experiences with DeSantis — and his supporters routinely ripped into and mocked those backing DeSantis’ presidential run.
And it was clear that Wiles, who typically stays out of the spotlight, was still stung by her very public ouster at the direction of the governor. When it became apparent DeSantis, after coming in a distant second in Iowa, was pulling out of the presidential race, Wiles posted a simple two-word social media post: “Bye, bye.”
During President Joe Biden’s time in office, DeSantis has been a chief antagonist, and the state’s attorney general has engaged in countless legal actions against the Biden administration. DeSantis did not meet with Biden during his two visits to Florida following hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Wiles is a Floridian who has strong relations with many other Florida politicians across the party’s spectrum. Former Gov. Jeb Bush — another vanquished Trump rival — praised the president’s pick of Wiles as chief of staff. Scott, who is now running for Senate GOP leader, and Wiles also still have a strong relationship.
DeSantis will still likely have a direct connection to Trump. But a public one-on-one meeting may be a harder sell. Even harder would be any consideration of DeSantis joining the Trump administration, especially after the governor’s term ends in two years, and he looks to continue his political career and set himself up for another potential run for the White House.
DeSantis said Friday that he is not interested in taking a job in Washington, D.C.
“I’m not seeking anything,” DeSantis said during a question and answer session following a lecture he gave at the University of Notre Dame. “I think me quarterbacking the Sunshine State is probably how I make the biggest difference.”
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