Drew Wilson
Historically, Florida has been underrepresented in the upper echelons of the executive branch, but the incoming administration will seemingly balance the scales.
As President-elect Donald Trump gears up to return to the White House, Florida politicians have been at the top of his list for some of the highest-ranking posts outside of the presidency itself, chief among them U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who is rumored to be Trump’s pick for Secretary of State.
Another pick running through the rumor mill: Tiffany Justice for Education Secretary.
Justice is the co-founder of Moms for Liberty, a Florida-grown conservative organization that rose to prominence for spearheading the book ban zeitgeist of the post-pandemic era and employing “groomer” rhetoric during debates over culture war school legislation, such as Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law.
The prospect of a Secretary Justice is likely to trigger Democrats; there is little they can do outside of a filibuster to stymie the pick — when the next Congress is sworn in, the GOP will control at least 51 seats, and the Governors who will appoint Rubio’s and incoming Vice President JD Vance’s replacements are both Republicans.
Among the early arguments against Justice, the foremost is her lack of a college degree, which may be met with criticism from one or two moderate Republican Senators but is unlikely to push any into the “nay” camp.
It’s possible Justice could get “yes” votes from Democrats on the conservative end of the party spectrum, such as Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, who has already committed to upvoting Rubio for Secretary of State.
Before the election, Justice said she would be “honored to serve” as Education Secretary.
“I think there’s a cultural revolution happening in America, and I think our schools are being used as one of the major battlefields. And so, I’m willing to serve in the next administration; however, I need to because we have got a country to save,” she told media in September in what some onlookers wrote off as a test balloon.
The timeline for when Trump will announce his pick for Education Secretary is unknown, and his campaign pledge to outright shutter the U.S. Department of Education contributes to the lack of clarity.
If the first Trump administration offers any insight, the pick could be among the President-elect’s first — former Secretary Betsy DeVos was an early Trump appointee (and a similarly controversial one) and was confirmed to the post about two weeks after Trump’s inauguration.
16 comments
Cat 5 Sara
November 12, 2024 at 7:01 pm
Appoint me head of NHC for my accurate account of Hurricane hitting Florida,this Hurricane will actually impact the NHC headquarters by next Thursday near Miami
Moe Lester
November 12, 2024 at 8:38 pm
The women who run Moms For Liberty are sexual deviants who put up a front. Just ask Tiffany Justice’s pal former Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler who used to record his bi-sexual wife Bridget having trysts with other women. https://mfi-miami.com/2024/01/florida-gop-chair/
Carl Buehler
November 17, 2024 at 5:24 pm
Heck those Moms for Liberty ought to get together with Matt Gaetz. He’s up for a Florida threesome and will bring the Ketamine for kicks.
KathrynA
November 12, 2024 at 10:25 pm
Funny! That’s all it takes for qualifications for most of people being announced so far in Trump administration.
Red Storm
November 13, 2024 at 6:40 am
What were Granholm’s quals to be Sec of Energy? How about Buttebug at Sec of Transpo? What has Blinken done as Sec of State? Austin has been a failure. Then there is impeached Mayorkas. A real clown show these last four years have been.
TJC
November 13, 2024 at 1:29 pm
Bullshit.
PAY UP
November 14, 2024 at 9:28 pm
MAGA TRASH, your team won, get over it. now it’s time for the train wreak. talk is cheap, trump is incapable of not screwing up.. you delt it, you smell it.
KathrynA
November 13, 2024 at 8:14 am
I would disagree and say they did have experience and accomplished much. Pete Buttigieg has especially, been right there and helping with all sorts of transportation emergencies.
It’s Complicated
November 13, 2024 at 10:57 am
Speaking as a conservative Republican, I believe Justice would be a clown show-level mistake for ANY senior level role in the Trump Administration. What are they thinking?!
You're Wrong
November 13, 2024 at 12:07 pm
Why is that?
PAY UP
November 14, 2024 at 9:19 pm
IT’S COMPLICATED, speaking as a conservative republican observer, you are about to freak out from your gross political errors. shame on you for screwing my country over.
KathrynA
November 13, 2024 at 12:09 pm
I would hope for any of our senior appointments that they have integrity and expertise and administrative abilities at the very least.
Cheesy Floridian
November 13, 2024 at 3:19 pm
That’s asking for too much.
Cheesy Floridian
November 13, 2024 at 3:18 pm
Is anyone shocked?
My Take
November 13, 2024 at 4:42 pm
Didn’t Emperor Caligula make his horse a senator?
Carl Buehler
November 17, 2024 at 5:26 pm
Don’t tell Trump that, he’ll be looking for Mr. Ed to head up the Department of Agriculture.