OAN Staff James Meyers
2:11 PM – Monday, February 24, 2025
Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis took a swipe at GOP Representative Byron Donalds on Monday in relation to him becoming the next governor of the Sunshine State, instead supporting his wife to take over his role — being term limited.
Advertisement
“My view is Donald Trump just got into office. I want these congressmen focused on enacting his agenda. They haven’t done very much yet,” DeSantis told reporters when asked whether he planned to endorse Donalds (R-Fla.).
“They’re not putting his executive orders into place. We’ll see what they do on the spending, but we have such a narrow majority that to be trying to campaign other places and missing these votes, I think, is not something that’s advisable at all,” he continued.
“The reality is we’ve achieved victories in Florida. We need to start achieving those victories up there,” he said. “I think people look at it and say you’ve got a guy like Byron, he just hasn’t been a part of any of the victories that we’ve had here over the left over these last years. He’s just not been a part of it. He’s been in other states campaigning doing that and that’s fine, but OK, then deliver results up there.”
Instead, DeSantis talked up the possibility of his wife, Casey DeSantis, taking a run at the gubernatorial position.
“I won by the biggest margin that any Republican has ever won a governor’s race here in Florida. She would do better than me,” DeSantis said in Tampa. “She’s somebody that has the intestinal fortitude and the dedication to conservative principles that you know anything that we’ve accomplished she’d be able to take to the next level.”
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump was supportive last week for Donalds to succeed the term-limited DeSantis.
“I am hearing that Highly Respected Congressman Byron Donalds is considering running for Governor of Florida, a State that I love, and WON BIG in 2016, 2020, and 2024,” Trump, who is a Florida resident, wrote on Thursday.
The 47th president emphasized that Donalds, a longtime Trump ally, “would be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida.”
Trump added that should Donalds decide to run, he “will have my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, BYRON, RUN!”
Reports have also suggested that Donalds has been seeking a potential gubernatorial bid for almost a year.
“I’ve thought about it. I don’t really rule anything out,” Donalds said in a Fox News Digital interview last spring when asked about a possible run for governor.
DeSantis and Donalds had their falling out during the 2024 Republican presidential primary when Donalds endorsed President Trump over DeSantis. As DeSantis and Trump have begun to rekindle their relationship after their primary battle, Donalds has continued to support Trump.
Meanwhile, Donalds responded to Trump’s post on social media, saying on X: “President Trump is Making America Great Again. I’m committed to working with him to Keep Florida Great. Announcement coming soon!”
Additionally, some reports have suggested that the Florida congressman had been pushing for a Trump endorsement — in an effort to weed out other potential rivals.
On Monday, Trump displayed a screen grab of a poll conducted by a group aligned with Donalds, which indicated that the congressman would be leading in a hypothetical 2026 Florida gubernatorial matchup.
Donalds, while speaking with Fox News soon after Trump made the comments, said: “it’s really cool that people back home in Florida consider me to be able to be the state’s next governor. It’s really an honor. It’s honestly surreal thinking about it because I’m 45 and my journey through politics has been a really fruitful one.”
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
Advertisements below