Republican Senator Ben Sasse was met by a massive protest in Florida as he nears a deal to leave the US Senate and become the president of the University of Florida.
The protesters had five demands. They want Sasse to decline the president’s job. They want the UF board of trustees to release the names of all 12 people they interviewed for the job. They want more transparency during the selection process and they want a law repealed repeal that makes presidential searches at state colleges and universities largely secret.
Sasse is not wanted in the US Senate nor in Florida so he may be in a tight spot. Former President Donald Trump said of Sasse’s hoped for resignation: “Great news for the United States Senate, and our Country itself. Liddle’ Ben Sasse, the lightweight Senator from the great State of Nebraska, will be resigning.
“If he knew he was going to resign so early in his term, why did he run in the first place? But it’s still great news!
“The University of Florida will soon regret their decision to hire him as their President.
“We have enough weak and ineffective RINOs in our midst.
Go gators go UF students
— LisaRidlehoover, MS/PolSci (@BelikeFederer) October 10, 2022
“I look forward to working with the terrific Republican Party of Nebraska to get a REAL Senator to represent the incredible People of that State, not another Fake RINO,” he said.
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts will appoint a replacement for Sasse under state law.
“The University of Florida is the most interesting university in America right now,” Sasse said.
“It’s the most important institution in the nation’s most economically dynamic state — and its board, faculty and graduates are uniquely positioned to lead this country through an era of disruption.”
CNN’s Manu Raju said:
“Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse plans to resign from the Senate by the end of the year to take a job as the president of the University of Florida, according to a source familiar with the deliberations.
“The University of Florida’s presidential search committee voted unanimously to name Sasse as their sole finalist for president of the university, the source said. Sasse will soon go to Florida and meet with students and staff.
“Then there needs to be a vote by the University of Florida board of trustees and board of governors to formalize the process. All that is expected to happen over the next several weeks and into November.
“When he accepts that offer, he would resign. The gov will fill the vacancy.”
Scenes from the Emerson Alumni Hall at the University of Florida, where students are protesting the likely appointment of Republican Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse as the next UF President pic.twitter.com/4tTM7oVnrZ
— Ethan Eibe (@EthanEibe) October 10, 2022
