Byron Donalds scrubs website of numerous references to Trump

• Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds removed most references to Donald Trump from his campaign website.
• The move comes as polls show Donalds in a dead heat with Democratic opponent David Jolly.
• Donalds' campaign said the change reflects a focus on issues that matter most to Floridians.
• Despite the website changes, Donalds' campaign stated he is proud to have Trump's endorsement.

On Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds' campaign website, President Donald Trump is suddenly persona non grata.

Donalds has long tied himself to Trump, but on Sept. 22 he erased nearly all references to the president on the website, an indication that the campaign might see the leader of the Republican Party as a drag in the tight race against Democrat opponent David Jolly. News of the mass deletion was first reported by The Miami Herald.

Trump's endorsement of Donalds once dominated the website, but it has now been regulated to a separate page under endorsements, though it still includes a photo of the president and the candidate. There are also two other minor references to Trump, as well.

"This is real trouble in paradise for Byron and Trump — MAGA's favorite power couple is official on the rocks," said Evan Ecklund, spokeswoman for the Florida Democratic Party.

Donalds spoke in August at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas that was dubbed "Trumpapaplooza" as well as defending the president on national news shows on the economy and ending temporary protection status for Haitians just a few weeks prior.

The pivot from Trump indicates a electoral dissonance for Donalds: the need to keep MAGA voters loyal to Trump in the fold while also showing he is more a continuation of Gov. Ron DeSantis' policies and feeling voters' pocketbook pain.

DeSantis remains popular in Florida and is a big reason why Republicans built a 1.5 million voter registration advantage due to a mass migration to the Sunshine State during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump, meanwhile, is facing record low approval ratings as gas prices skyrocket and the Iran conflict appears to be spreading. Still, Trump told voters at the convention to pretend he is on the ballot on Nov. 3.

A St. Pete Polls survey conducted for Florida Politics found that Donalds and Jolly are in a dead heat, with support for Donalds at 44% and support for Jolly at 43% among likely general election voters.  Political analyst Larry Sabato on Tuesday moved the race from "likely Republican" to "leans Republican," as the race continues to move — at least among the pundits and pollsters — toward Jolly.

"Our campaign website reflects Byron's focus on the issues that matter most to Floridians — affordability, insurance costs and government transparency," said Donalds campaign spokesman Gates McGavick. "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."

Donald Trump endorsed Byron Donalds to be the next Florida governor

Trump encouraged Donalds to run for governor on social media and immediately endorsed him in the Republican primary. "As governor, Byron would have a BIG voice, and would work closely with me to advance our America First Agenda," Trump posted in February 2025. "RUN, BYRON, RUN."

The news that Trump had been scrubbed from Donalds' campaign website took attention from the endorsement from his primary opponent, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, and the mileage Republicans were trying to get from Jolly declining to debate.

The website story caught fire on social media with photos of Donalds and Trump posted and Democrats piling on.

"Byron Donalds is panicked about David Jolly's momentum and is trying to fool Florida voters with a desperate website change," said Mark Riddle, senior adviser to the Jolly campaign. "The reality is that Donalds is nothing more than Trump's yes man. He and Byron are tied at the hip for an agenda that has sent costs soaring."

Fernand Amandi, Democratic pollster, said, "I think it finally donned on Donalds what voters figured out months ago and that is that Donald Trump is toxic, and that this election is shaping up to be a referendum against Donald Trump.

Key changes made to the campaign website, according to the Herald's article, included:

• Removal of Trump endorsement quotes.
• Photos of Trump and Donalds, such as at Mar-a-Lago, were replaced with Donalds interacting with voters.
• "America First" messaging replaced with Florida-specific issues, such as property tax relief and insurance reform.
• A banner that once featured the "RUN, BYRON, RUN" Trump quote was replaced with a generic graphic.

Trump won Florida in 2024 by 13.1% or more than 1.3 million votes.

Donalds isn't the only Florida Republican to try to create some daylight between themselves and Trump.

U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar released a campaign ad confronting the president over his aggressive federal immigration tactics, saying they had "gone too far."

"Maria only won because of me," Trump said. After speaking to Trump, however, Salazar walked back her criticism, praising the president and saying on immigration he had received "bad advice" from White House advisers.

John Pacenti is the Government Impact Reporter for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://palmbeachpost.com/newsletters. 

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