Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds maintains his support for President Trump’s agenda despite the recent removal of prominent references to the president from his campaign website. Speaking on Wednesday during an onstage interview at the Sunshine Economy Summit, Donalds addressed speculation that the edits signal a strategic move to distance himself from Trump ahead of the general election.
Donalds told reporters from public media organization WLRN that his campaign team has been updating the website for approximately two months. He characterized the changes as an effort to emphasize core policy themes such as affordability and to clearly outline the legislative vision he intends to pursue in Florida.
When asked if the revision—specifically the removal of the phrase “enact the Trump agenda” from the site’s top issues—meant he was backing away from the president’s platform, Donalds responded that the two concepts are distinct. He described Trump’s agenda as a common-sense framework focused on law enforcement, robust markets, and secured borders, while noting he remains committed to collaborating with the federal government on immigration policy.
The updates, first reported by the Miami Herald, have drawn national attention. An archived version of the site from earlier in August showed the homepage frequently highlighting Trump’s endorsement and featuring a photograph of the president and Donalds giving thumbs-up gestures. The issues page was topped with the pledge to “Enact the Trump Agenda.” According to CBS News, the current site retains a mention of Donalds’ role as a 2024 Trump campaign surrogate and lists the president among conservative endorsers, but the name is far less prominent.
The site’s issues section now leads with the slogan “Accountable, Achievable, Affordable!” rather than referencing the president directly. This shift comes amid a broader trend of Republican candidates in competitive races questioning their alignment with Trump and the ongoing Iran conflict as midterm elections approach.
Donalds has long been identified as a staunch ally of the president. He endorsed Trump over then-Governor Ron DeSantis during the 2024 GOP primaries. In return, Trump formally endorsed Donalds last year just before the congressional representative launched his bid for governor, stating, “Byron Donalds would be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida… RUN, BYRON, RUN!”
The summit, hosted by the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, also included an interview with Donalds’ Democratic opponent, David Jolly.
https://prod.vodvideo.cbsnews.com/cbsnews/vr/hls/4843540_hls/master.m3u8
It is wild how fast the ‘Great and Powerful’ praise turned into silence when the tide shifted.典型的 political maneuvering.
Does anyone actually think policy focus matters more than alignment in this election cycle?
I didn’t notice the Trump references disappeared until the article mentioned it. Glad they’re keeping that surrogate history though.
Politicians changing messaging when it gets convenient is nothing new. Just another broken promise.