“President Donald Trump brought an early end Thursday to the speculation around his favorite for the 2026 Florida governor’s race in a post on Truth Social, endorsing loyalist Rep. Byron Donalds, 46, for the job,” Politico reports.
“The president’s backing of Donalds is likely to have a chilling effect on the race in Florida, a state Trump won by 13 points in November and that he has called home since 2019.”
Surprise, surprise.
It’ll be interesting to see how well MAGA receives Donalds, a Black man. Most tend to dislike “diversity” in important roles. But, Donalds has been a Member of Congress for 8 years and very loyal to Trump so he’s not a random DEI pick.
… Something tells me current Governor Ron DeSantis has other ideas. Should the governor endorse someone else, Donalds will be far from a shoo-in.
The relationship between Trump and DeSantis has been a bit frosty since they competed for the Republican nomination for president in 2023 and 2024. Don’t be surprised if DeSantis gladly spites the president by backing another candidate.