Byron Donalds Removes Trump References from Campaign Website

<figure><img alt="Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds stripped away references to his endorsement from Donald Trump from his campaign website." src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/4M65JZKLA5F7XMGTNXHVWYJAX4.jpg?auth=bb5a9bb143367d5806c107ce0805f3c20c96509f8767cafa0a601ed23d42c15&amp;smart=true&amp;width=3000&amp;height=1688" /><figcaption>Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Reuters/byrondonalds.com</figcaption></figure><p>Byron Donalds, a Republican congressman running for governor in Florida, has updated his campaign website to remove references to his endorsement from former President Donald Trump. Previously, the site prominently featured phrases such as "Trump-endorsed" multiple times.</p><p>The revised homepage no longer mentions Trump, and there are fewer images of Donalds with the former president. Trump endorsed Donalds for governor early last year, but this change reflects a trend among GOP candidates distancing themselves from Trump.</p><p>A review of the old website revealed a banner stating "Support Trump Endorsed Byron Donalds" and featured images of Donalds with Trump, including a quote from Trump praising Donalds as a potential governor.</p><p>The new homepage simply states, "Byron Donalds for Governor" with a focus on "Fighting to defend the Florida dream." Trump is mentioned only on the "Meet Byron Donalds" page, where he is referred to as the "Trump-endorsed candidate."</p><p>The old website included sections that highlighted Trump's immigration policies and other agenda items, which are absent in the new version.</p><p>Donalds has been a supporter of Trump and has appeared on conservative media to promote Trump’s policies. Recently, he attended a Republican convention where he continued to express support for Trump.</p><p>The Daily Beast reached out to Donalds' campaign for clarification on the website changes. Campaign communications director Gates McGavick stated that the website reflects Donalds' focus on issues important to Floridians, such as affordability and government transparency, while asserting that Donalds is proud of Trump's endorsement. McGavick criticized the reporting on the website changes as "FAKE NEWS" and targeted his Democratic opponent, David Jolly.</p><p>Polls indicate that while Donalds has had an advantage over Jolly, the race is tightening, with a recent survey showing Donalds leading by less than a point.</p><p>Other Republican candidates in competitive races have also removed references to Trump from their campaign materials.</p>