Governor hopeful Byron Donalds fires up young conservatives in Tampa
The 17-year-old said the congressman from southwest Florida is his role model as a fellow Black conservative. Dozer can't wait, he said, to see Donalds as the state's next governor.
'I'm going to be 18 in time for next year's election,' he said. 'My first-ever vote will be for Donalds as governor.'
Donalds is the early front-runner in Florida's 2026 governor's race, having already received President Donald Trump's endorsement. As he ramps up his campaign, he's crisscrossing the state with a message for conservative voters: he's all in on Trump.
On Friday, Donalds spoke to Dozer and thousands of other young conservatives attending the Student Action Summit in Tampa, an event organized by Turning Point USA that aims to galvanize younger Republicans. On Saturday, he was expected to headline a Miami-Dade Republicans breakfast.
Donalds walked out Friday to thunderous applause that rivaled that of other big names of the evening like Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and Donald Trump Jr.
Donalds spoke about Brooklyn, his hometown, and said that Florida welcomes New Yorkers upset with Zohran Mamdani's Democratic primary win for mayor on one condition: they don't vote for 'the same stupid people' in Florida.
As he's done in recent television interviews promoting his campaign, Donalds bragged Friday about the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill — Trump's signature tax cut and spending legislation — prompting a mid-speech standing ovation from the audience in the Tampa Convention Center. He told the crowd he wanted to follow in the footsteps of Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis, who he said had 'done a tremendous job' leading the state.
Odell Burke, 58, said he hasn't seen so much support for the Republican Party in Florida since he moved to Orlando more than 20 years ago.
'There's a red tide turning here in Florida right now,' he said. 'I'm seeing so many more people voting for these good, conservative politicians. Donalds is a shoo-in, in my eyes.'
Dozer said he first learned about Donalds when he got involved in Blexit, a grassroots movement encouraging Black Americans to embrace conservative beliefs.
'For a long time, I felt like I didn't belong in the Republican Party,' Dozer said. 'Now, looking up at him, I really feel like I have a place here.'
Donalds, who hopes to replace the term-limited DeSantis, has raised more than $22 million since he kicked off his campaign in February. He's received massive donations from billionaire businessmen.
Individual voters like Eric Lu, 22, are also funding his campaign.
Lu, who lives in Atlanta but came to the event in Tampa, said politicians like Donalds motivated his desire to come to Florida. He plans to move to Naples in September.
'Honestly, I didn't even know who Byron Donalds was until I heard Trump talk about him,' Lu said. 'I've been wanting to get out of Atlanta since I graduated, and Donalds becoming the governor next year is the perfect reason for me to move down here.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
20 minutes ago
Trump is attending the FIFA Club World Cup final
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump on Sunday will attend the FIFA Club World Cup final, a match that will offer Trump a preview of the globe's premier soccer tournament that North America will host next year. Trump and first lady Melania Trump will travel from their golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, to East Rutherford 40 miles (64 kilometers) away to watch the final match of the U.S.-hosted tournament between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea at MetLife Stadium. Trump's trip Sunday falls on the first anniversary of the assassination attempt he survived in Butler, Pennsylvania, while campaigning for president. The president did not have any public plans to mark the date beyond participating in a taped Fox News Channel interview with his daughter-in-law Lara Trump that aired Saturday night. Sporting events have made up the bulk of Trump's trips in the U.S. since taking office this year. In addition to his visit this weekend to the soccer tournament, he's attended the Super Bowl in New Orleans, the Daytona 500 in Florida, UFC fights in Miami and Newark, New Jersey, and the NCAA wrestling championships in Philadelphia. The president, who has a warm relationship with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, has said he plans to attend multiple matches of the World Cup tournament next year.
Hamilton Spectator
25 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Beautiful' or ‘Ugly,' Trump's big bill shapes the battle for House control in 2026 midterms
WASHINGTON (AP) — Debate over President Donald Trump's sweeping budget-and-policy package is over on Capitol Hill. Now the argument goes national. From the Central Valley of California to Midwestern battlegrounds and suburban districts of the northeast, the new law already is shaping the 2026 midterm battle for control of the House of Representatives. The outcome will set the tone for Trump's final two years in the Oval Office. Democrats need a net gain of three House seats to break the GOP's chokehold on Washington and reestablish a power center to counter Trump. There's added pressure to flip the House given that midterm Senate contests are concentrated in Republican-leaning states, making it harder for Democrats to reclaim that chamber. As Republicans see it, they've now delivered broad tax cuts, an unprecedented investment in immigration enforcement and new restraints on social safety net programs. Democrats see a law that rolls back health insurance access and raises costs for middle-class Americans while cutting taxes mostly for the rich, curtailing green energy initiatives and restricting some workers' organizing rights. 'It represents the broken promise they made to the American people,' said Rep. Suzan DelBene, a Washington Democrat who chairs the party's House campaign arm. 'We're going to continue to hold Republicans accountable for this vote.' Parties gear up for a fight Whether voters see it that way will be determined on a district-by-district level, but the battle will be more intense in some places than others. Among the 435 House districts, only 69 contests were decided by less than 10 percentage points in the 2024 general election. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has so far identified 26 Democratic-held seats it must defend vigorously, along with 34 GOP-held seats it believes could be ripe to flip. Republicans' campaign arm, the National Republican Congressional Committee, has so far listed 18 GOP incumbents as priorities, plus two districts opened by retirements. There are a historically low number of so-called crossover districts: Only 13 Democrats represent districts Trump carried in 2024, while just three Republicans serve districts Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris carried. Both committees are busy recruiting challengers and open-seat candidates and more retirements could come, so the competitive map will evolve. Still, there are clusters of districts guaranteed to influence the national result. California, despite its clear lean to Democrats statewide, has at least nine House districts expected to be up for grabs: three in the Central Valley and six in southern California. Six are held by Democrats, three by the GOP. Pennsylvania features four districts that have been among the closest national House races for several consecutive cycles. They include a suburban Philadelphia seat represented by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, one of just two House Republicans to vote against Trump's bill and one of the three GOP lawmakers from a district Harris won. Fitzpatrick cited the Medicaid cuts. Vice President JD Vance plans on Wednesday to be in Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan's northwest Pennsylvania district to tout the GOP package. Bresnahan's seat is a top Democratic target. Iowa and Wisconsin, meanwhile, feature four contiguous GOP-held districts in farm-heavy regions where voters could be swayed by fallout from Trump's tariffs. Democrats fight to define the GOP Beyond bumper-sticker labels – Trump's preferred 'Big Beautiful Bill' versus Democrats' 'Big Ugly Bill' retort – the 900-page law is, in fact, an array of policies with varying impact. Democrats hammer Medicaid and food assistance cuts, some timed to take full effect only after the 2026 midterms, along with Republicans' refusal to extend tax credits to some people who obtained health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law; 3 million more would not qualify for food stamps, also known as SNAP benefits. 'Folks will die here in Louisiana and in other parts of the country,' House Minority Leader Jeffries warned last week during a town hall in Republican Speaker Mike Johnson's home state of Louisiana. Jeffries singled out vulnerable Republicans like California Rep. David Valadao, who represents a heavily agricultural Central Valley district where more than half the population is eligible for the joint state-federal insurance program. California allows immigrants with legal status and those who are undocumented to qualify for Medicaid, so not all Medicaid recipients are voters. But the program helps finance the overall health care system, including nursing homes and hospitals. Republicans highlight the law's tightened work requirements for Medicaid enrollees. They argue it's a popular provision that will strengthen the program. 'I voted for this bill because it does preserve the Medicaid program for its intended recipients — children, pregnant women, the disabled, and elderly,' Valadao said. 'I know how important the program is for my constituents.' Republicans hope voter s see lower taxes The law includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. It makes permanent existing rates and brackets approved during Trump's first term. Republicans and their allies have hammered vulnerable Democrats for 'raising costs' on American households by opposing the bill. GOP campaign aides point to the popularity of individual provisions: boosting the $2,000 child tax credit to $2,200 (some families at lower income levels would not get the full credit), new deductions on tip and overtime income and auto loans; and a new deduction for older adults earning less than $75,000 a year. 'Everyone will have more take home pay. They'll have more jobs and opportunity,' Johnson said in a Fox News Sunday interview. 'The economy will be doing better and we'll be able to point to that as the obvious result of what we did.' Democrats note that the biggest beneficiaries of Trump's tax code are wealthy Americans and corporations. Pairing that with safety net cuts, Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz concluded, 'The cruelty is the point.' Immigration, meanwhile, was Trump's strongest issue in 2024. NRCC aides say that will continue with the new law's investments in immigration enforcement. Democrats believe the Trump administration has overplayed its hand with its push for mass deportation. Playing the Trump card The president is a titanic variable. Democrats point to 2018, when they notched a 40-seat net gain in House seats to take control away from the GOP. This year, Democrats have enjoyed a double-digit swing in special elections around the country when compared to 2024 presidential results. Similar trends emerged in 2017 after Trump's 2016 victory. Democrats say that reflects voter discontent with Trump once he's actually in charge. Republicans answer that Trump's job approval remains higher at this point than in 2017. But the GOP's effort is further complicated by ongoing realignments: Since Trump's emergence, Democrats have gained affluent white voters -– like those in suburban swing districts -– while Trump has drawn more working-class voters across racial and ethnic groups. But Republicans face a stiffer challenge of replicating Trump's coalition in a midterm election without him on the ballot. Democrats, meanwhile, must corral voters who are not a threat to vote for Republicans but could stay home. Jeffries said he's determined not to let that happen. 'We're going to do everything we can until we end this national nightmare.' —- Cooper reported from Phoenix. Brook reported from New Orleans. Associated Press reporters Michael Blood in Los Angeles and Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Washington Post
30 minutes ago
- Washington Post
'Beautiful' or 'Ugly,' Trump's big bill shapes the battle for House control in 2026 midterms
WASHINGTON — Debate over President Donald Trump's sweeping budget-and-policy package is over on Capitol Hill. Now the argument goes national. From the Central Valley of California to Midwestern battlegrounds and suburban districts of the northeast, the new law already is shaping the 2026 midterm battle for control of the House of Representatives. The outcome will set the tone for Trump's final two years in the Oval Office.
