Former Arkansas Senator Ben Sasse has announced his next career move.
The famous anti-Trumper is leaving his board position at the University of Florida to care for his epileptic wife.
Sasse announced that he would step down on July 31 to focus on helping his wife and caring for his kids.
Between 2015 and 2023, Sasse became known as one of the most outspoken anti-Trump Republicans in the Senate.
The former Midland University president returned to academia after leaving Washington. He took over as University of Florida's president last year despite backlash from students and faculty.
The board of trustees unanimously elected Sasse to a five-year term, but he has decided to put his family obligations first. He will remain employed at the university as a professor and president emeritus.
“My wife Melissa’s recent epilepsy diagnosis and a new batch of memory issues have been hard, but we’re facing it together,” he said.
“Our two wonderful daughters are in college, but our youngest is just turning 13. Gator Nation needs a president who can keep charging hard, Melissa deserves a husband who can pull his weight, and my kids need a dad who can be home many more nights."
"I need to step back and rebuild more stable household systems for a time. I’m going to remain involved in serving our UF students — past, present, and future — but I need to walk arm-in-arm with my dearest friend more hours of every week.”
The university's board of trustees thanks Sasse in a statement.
“The board of trustees thanks Dr. Sasse for his service to the University of Florida. Under his leadership, UF has continued to advance on the national and international stage, benefiting our students, faculty, alumni, community and state. He has left a lasting impact on the university and all of those associated with it. We wish Ben all the best as he steps back to focus on his family," the statement said.
During Sasse's tenure, the University of Florida targeted "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" initiatives - a priority of Florida governor Ron DeSantis (R) and clamped down on riotous anti-Israel protests.
Sasse was one of a handful of Republicans who voted to convict Donald Trump during his second impeachment over the January 6th "insurrection."
