Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to lose traction with people willing to put money on who will lead the Pentagon.
Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth has surged in Polymarket’s “Who will be the next Defense Secretary” proposition, having apparently weathered a series of news cycles about past indiscretions.
A “Yes” share for Hegseth, a two-time Bronze Star recipient, is now priced at 68 cents as of Tuesday morning.
A “Yes” share for DeSantis, meanwhile, is priced at 14 cents.
DeSantis led in the betting market until Friday evening, with speculation swirling that he might replace Hegseth as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for the job.
“It looks like Pete is doing well now,” Trump said during an interview with “Meet the Press.”
DeSantis, who is a former Navy JAG lawyer who served in Iraq and at Guantanamo Bay, will be together with Trump next Saturday at the Army-Navy Football Game.
But at this writing, it appears they will simply be watching the clash of the service academy squads on the gridiron rather than planning out what’s to come in January.
DeSantis’ predecessor as Governor, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, continues to offer unstinting advocacy for Hegseth.
The latest example of that was Monday night on Newsmax.
“I think he’s a great nominee. I’m glad President Trump chose him, and he’s going to be confirmed,” the Naples Republican said on “Rob Schmitt Tonight.”
Neither DeSantis nor his most vocal advocates in the Governor’s Office or his political operation have speculated on the process publicly.
That appears to have been prudent, given that unlike in the case of onetime Attorney General nominee Matt Gaetz, the Hegseth nomination appears to have weathered the storm.
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