Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday announced Moody as his pick to replace U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who is poised to be the next Secretary of State for President-elect Donald J. Trump. The governor made the announcement in a Thursday news conference in Orlando.

Today marks day two of Pam Bondi's confirmation hearing. She is President-elect Trump's nominee for attorney general.

“My overriding objective will be to return the Department of Justice to its core mission of keeping Americans safe and vigorously prosecuting criminals,” Bondi said. “That includes getting back to basics: gang, drugs cartels, our border and our foreign adversary.”

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) will resign his seat upon his confirmation as Secretary of State, which gave Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) a decision on who to appoint.

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor is congratulating Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody on her appointment by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the U.S. Senate to succeed U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio.

Thursday on the RealClearPolitics radio show -- weeknights at 6:00 p.m. on SiriusXM's POTUS Channel 124 and then on Apple, Spotify, and here on our website -- Andrew Walworth, Tom Bevan, and RCP senior elections analyst Sean Trende start with a review last night's prime-time address by President Joe Biden about his legacy and accomplishments.

Ashley Moody, Florida's attorney general, was selected by Gov. Ron DeSantis to replace Marco Rubio in the U.S. Senate.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed the person set to replace Marco Rubio in the U.S. Senate — Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody. Rubio is undergoing his confirmation hearing for secretary of state this week in Washington and if confirmed, his seat would become vacant.

Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Justice Department as attorney general, appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for her confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (Ben Curtis/AP)

Demonstrators take part in the People’s March in Washington, two days before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s Inauguration. The march is a continuation of the Women’s March which was staged a day after Trump’s 2017 inauguration.

Donald Trump is poised to make history with his return to the White House as the 47th President of the United States. From the unique indoor swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda—marking the first such event in 40 years—to a star-studded inaugural parade and grand evening balls,