Trump-endorsed Byron Donalds wipes all references to the president from his campaign website

Trump-endorsed Byron Donalds wipes all references to the president from his campaign website The Florida congressman is just the latest Republican to distance themselves from Trump for survival - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments President Donald Trump’s preferred candidate to be governor of Florida quietly scrubbed nearly all references to the president from his campaign website, according to a new report. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) relaunched his campaign website ahead of the general election this week. But he removed all references to the president on his website, The Miami Herald reported. This comes as the president’s unpopularity risks becoming a millstone around most Republicans’ necks in this year’s make-or-break midterm elections. Prior to that, Donalds’ website featured buttons urging visitors to “Chip in to Support Trump Endorsed Byron Donalds” and labels calling him a “TRUMP-ENDORSED Proven Conservative Fighter.” Trump endorsed Donalds, one of the few Black Republican members of Congress, early on in 2025, and part of his website included Trump’s quote “RUN, BYRON, RUN!” Whoever wins the race will succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, whom Trump endorsed in 2018 before turning against the governor when they competed for the Republican nomination. Now, Donalds’ website only features Trump’s endorsement as part of a rolling banner of conservative endorsements including Elon Musk, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), House Speaker Mike Johnson, late conservative activist Charlie Kirk and Sen. Ted Cruz. The top of the previous version of Donalds’ website said he would “Enact the Trump Agenda.” The new version of the website lists affordability as the biggest issue as Republicans grapple with how to handle the rising cost of living. The website Visualping showed that Donalds stripped at least eight references to Trump. In addition, the website no longer prominently features Donalds’ priority to “Fight Illegal Immigration.” Rather, his website says he wants to “stop taxpayer handouts to illegal immigration,” and that falls under the banner of “Law and Order.” Donalds, who has served in the House of Representatives since 2021, is running against David Jolly, a former Republican who switched parties to become a Democrat. Jolly has largely hit Donalds for supporting data centers despite criticisms of the facilities by both parties. But Donalds’ spokesman defended the changes to the website. “Our campaign website reflects Byron’s focus on the issues that matter most to Floridians — affordability, insurance costs, and government transparency,” Gates McGavick said in a statement. “He’s running to be the next Governor of Florida, is proud to have President Trump’s endorsement, and has real policy proposals to tackle those issues. Meanwhile, David Jolly is all sound bites, no depth, and no policy.” Donalds won the Republican nomination for governor against right-wing media personality James Fishback and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins. But he failed to win a majority of the vote and underperformed in parts of the state. During Donalds’ victory speech last month, he did not mention Trump despite the president’s boost. He is not the only Republican to distance himself from Trump. In Miami, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar criticized Trump’s policies on immigration, saying many Hispanics who voted for him in 2024 “feel betrayed” now because of the harsh tactics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments