Lara Trump has urged Florida Governor Ron DeSantis not to announce his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election, and to instead set his sights on a run for the White House in 2028.

The Fox News contributor, who is married to former President Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump, told Sky News Australia that it would be better if DeSantis delayed his presidential aspirations until 2028. But she also admitted during the segment that the Florida governor is the future of the Republican Party.

“I think that Ron DeSantis is very smart,” Trump said on Sunday. “Look, he’s a young guy. There will be a lot of opportunity for him in the future … to run for president.”

DeSantis, 44, was reelected last week for a second four-year term as Florida’s governor, easily beating his Democratic challenger Charlie Crist.

“I think he’s a smart enough guy to know that it would be great to have all the support of this party, of the America First, MAGA movement – whatever you want to call it – fully behind him in 2028 than possibly has, you know, fracturing it in 2024,” Trump said.

She suggested that if DeSantis stepped out of way this presidential election cycle, it would preclude the usual nastiness that takes centerstage during primary seasons.

“I can tell you those primaries get very messy and very raw. We’ve experienced that before,” Trump said.

Pointing out that there will future opportunities for DeSantis to run for president, she said: “So wouldn’t it be nicer for [DeSantis] – and I think he knows this — to wait until 2028?”

She also scoffed at the notion that Donald Trump’s support among Republican voters was tanking after the party’s disappointing midterm showing, comparing the situation to party leaders refusing to initially get behind Trump in 2016.

“They know that he has what it takes not only to win the White House, but to do incredible things for this country,” she said. “So yes, absolutely, I think the party would be behind him and I think that they know that the American people, by and large, are behind him.