Trump Backs Desantis-allied Uthmeier For Florida Attorney General

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — President Donald Trump on Wednesday endorsed James Uthmeier for Florida attorney general, ending months of speculation about whether the president would support a close ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis.

In a Truth Social post, Trump praised Uthmeier for being the “man behind Alligator Alcatraz,” the immigration detention center that opened this summer in the middle of the Everglades. Trump further called him a “true champion for MAGA.”

Uthmeier had been campaign manager for DeSantis’ presidential campaign. In the heat of that battle, he sharply criticized Trump. DeSantis appointed Uthmeier to the post of attorney general in February after he named Ashley Moody to the U.S. Senate seat previously held by Marco Rubio.

“James Uthmeier is a Strong Conservative Fighter and Prosecutor, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement,” Trump wrote.

In recent weeks, Uthmeier was also involved in the deal to transfer prime downtown Miami real estate from the state to the foundation that will build Trump’s presidential library. In an interview last week with POLITICO, Uthmeier acknowledged having discussions with the foundation and noted that he visited a "couple of the possible sites" under consideration. He said he also looked into the legal aspects of transferring the property over. The deal to put the library in that location was a mostly off-the-radar transaction that came together quickly and has since drawn a legal challenge.

The president's decision to back Uthmeier could decrease the chance of a full-blown Trump-DeSantis proxy battle that has been looming over the 2026 elections. Trump has already endorsed Rep. Byron Donalds for governor, but DeSantis has declined to support Donalds so far. There have been signals that Lt. Gov. Jay Collins may jump into the Republican primary against Donalds. Trump also initially endorsed state Sen. Joe Gruters for chief financial officer, but DeSantis appointed longtime ally Blaise Ingoglia to the job in July after it came open with Jimmy Patronis stepping down to run for Congress.

Amid the Ingoglia appointment, DeSantis also ripped into Gruters and said he wasn't conservative enough. But Trump quickly backed Gruters to become chair of the Republican National Committee, and he dropped his bid for the job.

In a brief post on X, Uthmeier thanked Trump and said, "I will keep fighting on behalf of Floridians and the American people, and I won’t let you down."

Four GOP political consultants and operatives in Florida, who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, confirmed reports that there had been an effort by the White House to recruit Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez to run against Uthmeier. But one source close to Perez said Wednesday that while the Miami Republican had been "honored to be encouraged to run," it was not a job he was ever actively seeking.