Byron Donalds Removes Most Trump References From Campaign Site

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. For months, Florida Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds made President Donald Trump’s endorsement a central part of his campaign identity.

That emphasis has now changed. Donalds’ newly redesigned campaign website removes nearly all of the prominent references to Trump that previously appeared throughout the site, including repeated mentions of the president’s endorsement. The change comes as Donalds enters the general-election phase of the Florida governor’s race and shifts his public messaging toward state-level policy issues.

The campaign says the new website is intended to focus on the issues it believes matter most to Floridians, including affordability, insurance costs and government transparency.

The change does not mean Trump’s endorsement has disappeared entirely. Donalds remains a Trump-endorsed candidate, and the endorsement continues to appear among the campaign’s listed endorsements. The campaign’s current website also continues to describe Donalds as “Trump-endorsed” and links to Trump’s endorsement. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

The website change nevertheless represents a noticeable difference from the campaign’s earlier presentation, when Trump’s backing was repeatedly highlighted across Donalds’ political operation.

Trump endorsement once featured prominently in Donalds’ campaign

Trump’s support has been an important part of Donalds’ campaign since before the Republican primary.

Trump endorsed Donalds during the campaign for governor, and Donalds repeatedly promoted that backing while competing for the Republican nomination. His campaign used the endorsement in fundraising appeals, campaign announcements and other communications.

Earlier versions of the campaign website prominently displayed Trump’s endorsement, including multiple references on the site’s main page. Archived versions of the site showed the endorsement appearing repeatedly rather than being confined to a general list of supporters.

The emphasis was consistent with Donalds’ broader political relationship with Trump. Donalds, a Republican congressman from Florida, became a prominent supporter of Trump’s political agenda and was among the Republicans closely associated with the former president’s movement.

In April, Donalds’ campaign described him as a Trump-backed candidate when announcing a $22.2 million first-quarter fundraising haul. The campaign said the total brought the combined funds of Donalds’ campaign and his affiliated political committee to more than $67 million at that point. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

By June, the campaign was still describing Donalds prominently as Trump-endorsed while celebrating his qualification for the November governor’s election. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

New website puts Florida issues at the center

The new campaign messaging places greater emphasis on issues specific to Florida rather than repeatedly highlighting the president.

A campaign spokesperson said the website reflects Donalds’ focus on “the issues that matter most to Floridians,” specifically citing affordability, insurance costs and government transparency.

The shift comes as Donalds begins presenting himself to a broader electorate following the Republican primary. Campaign messaging during a primary often emphasizes party alignment and endorsements, while general-election campaigns can place greater emphasis on state-specific concerns.

Donalds’ campaign has already been describing its general-election strategy in terms of affordability, accountability and other Florida issues. Earlier this month, his campaign took a “Defending the Florida Dream” tour across the state, with events focused on topics including veterans and economic concerns. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

The website change therefore fits into a broader transition in the campaign’s public messaging, although the campaign has not said that it is abandoning Trump’s political agenda.

Trump endorsement remains on the campaign site

Despite the reduction in references, Trump has not been removed from Donalds’ campaign materials altogether.

The campaign website currently identifies Donalds as “TRUMP-ENDORSED” and continues to display Trump’s endorsement of his gubernatorial campaign. The site also says Donalds is committed to implementing Trump’s “Make America Great Again” agenda. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

That means the change is better understood as a reduction in the prominence of Trump’s name and image rather than a formal repudiation of his endorsement.

The distinction matters because campaign websites can change their presentation without necessarily indicating a change in a candidate’s underlying policy positions. A candidate may emphasize different issues at different stages of an election while maintaining previous endorsements and alliances.

Why the timing has drawn attention

The timing of the website change has attracted attention because it comes as Trump faces a difficult political environment nationally and as Republican candidates prepare for the 2026 midterm elections.

Recent reporting has described declining approval ratings for Trump and political pressure on Republican candidates in competitive races. The political environment varies considerably from state to state and from contest to contest, but Trump’s standing has become a factor in how some Republican candidates present themselves to voters.

Donalds is not the only Republican whose campaign strategy is being examined through that lens. Republican candidates around the country are balancing their Relationships with Trump against the specific concerns of voters in their states and districts.

That does not establish why Donalds’ website was redesigned beyond the campaign’s stated explanation. The campaign says the purpose is to focus on policy issues important to Floridians. Whether voters interpret the change primarily as a policy-focused strategy, a broader general-election repositioning or something else is a matter for voters and political observers.

Donalds’ relationship with Trump remains documented

Although Trump’s presence on the website has been reduced, Donalds’ political record includes a long association with Trump and his administration’s agenda.

Trump’s endorsement was not the only national Republican backing Donalds received. His campaign has also highlighted endorsements from figures including Donald Trump Jr., Sen. Rick Scott and other Republican officials and conservative figures. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

Donalds has also publicly promoted policies associated with the broader Republican agenda, including lower taxes, Immigration enforcement, parental rights in education and affordability measures.

The Florida Division of Elections lists Donalds as the Republican candidate for governor in the 2026 general election, with Bryan Avila as his running mate. State election records show that Donalds qualified for the race in June. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

His Democratic opponent is David Jolly, a former Republican congressman who is running as the Democratic nominee.

From primary campaign to general election

The change in website strategy also reflects the different demands of a general-election campaign.

During the Republican primary, Donalds competed against other Republican candidates for the support of the party’s voters. Trump’s endorsement provided a clear signal of national Republican support and was repeatedly incorporated into Donalds’ campaign messaging.

After securing the Republican nomination, the campaign’s audience expanded beyond Republican primary voters. The general election requires candidates to communicate with independents, Democrats and Republicans who may have different priorities.

That can encourage campaigns to emphasize issues that directly affect voters in the state. In Florida, property insurance, housing costs, affordability, education, taxes and government spending are among the issues that can be discussed independently of national political personalities.

Donalds’ campaign has increasingly described its general-election strategy around those state-focused subjects.

Insurance costs are a major Florida campaign issue

The decision to emphasize insurance costs is particularly relevant to Florida Politics because homeowners and businesses in the state have faced significant pressure from property insurance premiums and availability.

Florida’s exposure to hurricanes and other severe weather has long complicated the state’s insurance market. Changes in insurance regulation, insurer participation, catastrophe risk and the availability of coverage have become recurring subjects in state politics.

For a gubernatorial campaign, insurance policy provides an opportunity to discuss an issue that directly affects household budgets and property ownership rather than relying primarily on national political debates.

Donalds’ new messaging places insurance among the issues his campaign says it wants to address, although the website’s emphasis alone does not establish the details or expected effects of every proposed policy.

Affordability becomes another central message

Affordability is another theme that has become increasingly prominent in Donalds’ campaign communication.

The term can encompass housing, insurance, taxes, utilities, food and other household expenses. Campaigns frequently use affordability as an umbrella issue because rising costs can affect voters across political and demographic groups.

Donalds has previously promoted lower taxes and economic policies as part of his campaign platform. His campaign has described him as focused on making Florida safer and more affordable for families and seniors. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}

The new website’s greater emphasis on affordability therefore builds on an issue already present in his campaign rather than introducing an entirely new policy direction.

Government transparency is also highlighted

Government transparency is the third major issue specifically identified by the campaign in explaining the redesigned website.

Transparency can involve public records, government spending, contracting, ethics rules and how state agencies communicate decisions. The term is broad, and the specific proposals associated with it will depend on the campaign’s detailed policy agenda.

By highlighting transparency alongside affordability and insurance, the campaign is presenting a message centered more directly on state government than on national Republican politics.

The website change does not erase Trump’s influence

Even with fewer Trump references, the president remains part of Donalds’ campaign identity.

Trump’s endorsement continues to be displayed on the campaign website, and Donalds’ platform still references Trump’s political agenda. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}

The change therefore illustrates a distinction between endorsement and campaign presentation. A candidate can continue to have the support of a national political figure while choosing to devote more campaign space to local issues.

That distinction is particularly relevant in a gubernatorial race, where voters are choosing a state executive responsible for issues that fall largely under state authority.

What the shift could mean for Donalds’ campaign messaging

The revised website gives Donalds more space to define the campaign around Florida policy priorities rather than presenting the race primarily through the lens of his relationship with Trump.

It also allows voters to evaluate the candidate’s proposals on issues such as insurance, affordability and government operations without relying solely on national political affiliations.

At the same time, Trump’s continued endorsement means the relationship remains publicly documented. The campaign has not announced a break with Trump, and its website continues to reference his agenda.

The result is a campaign presentation that combines two elements: continued formal support from Trump and a more prominent focus on issues specific to Florida.

The Florida governor’s race enters a new phase

Donalds’ website redesign comes as the Florida governor’s race moves toward the November 2026 general election. State election records confirm his Republican candidacy and list Bryan Avila as his running mate. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}

The campaign’s stated explanation for the website change is straightforward: focus attention on the issues it says matter most to Floridians.

But the reduction in Trump’s visibility is notable because his endorsement previously occupied a much larger role in Donalds’ campaign presentation. The contrast between the older and newer websites provides a visible example of how campaign messaging can change as an election moves from a party primary to a statewide general election.

For voters, the more consequential question will be what Donalds proposes on the issues his campaign is now emphasizing and how those proposals compare with the positions of his Democratic opponent. Trump’s continued endorsement provides one piece of information about Donalds’ political alliances, while the campaign’s expanded policy messaging provides another.

For now, the campaign has not indicated that the website change represents a change in its relationship with Trump. Instead, it says the redesigned site is intended to keep the focus on Florida, with affordability, insurance costs and government transparency taking a more prominent place in the campaign’s message.