Donald Trump Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps, endorsing Congressman Byron Donalds for governor of Florida in a move against Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey.
The 46-year-old Donalds, who has served in Congress since 2021, has quickly become a favorite of the MAGA movement.
However, current Governor DeSantis has talked up First Lady Casey for governor amid chatter about her planning to launch her own bid after having served as Florida’s first lady.
Trump’s oldest son continued the family’s move away from DeSantis with a full-throated endorsement of his wife’s chief potential rival.
‘My friend Byron Donalds is a great patriot and has my full endorsement to serve as Florida’s next governor,’ Trump Jr. said in a statement.
‘Byron is a fighter and a true champion for our America First movement. He will be a great leader for Florida and he will fight alongside my father to make America greater than ever before!’
Don Jr., much like the rest of the Trump family, split with DeSantis when the governor challenged his father for the Republican nomination in 2024.
He mocked a video of DeSantis having his make-up re-applied at a GOP presidential debate.
Donald Trump Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps , endorsing Congressman Byron Donalds for governor of Florida in a move against Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey
Current governor DeSantis has talked up his wife Casey for governor amid chatter about her planning to launch her own bid after having served as Florida’s first lady
The former president’s son posted the clip of the Florida Gov. getting a touch up, with the caption: ‘Rhonda Santis,’ followed by laughing emojis.
Ahead of the Iowa caucuses, he took particular issues with DeSantis’ 2024 bid, slamming his father’s competitor for his footwear choice and his loss of ‘billionaire donors.’
‘Who thinks it’s acceptable for men to be wearing high heels while running for the Republican nomination? Anyone?’ the eldest Trump son questioned, to which the audience replied: ‘NO!’
‘And here’s the thing – no one cares if he’s short. No one cares. No one cares if you’re short,’ he continued. ‘You know what they care about – that you’re so insecure about it that you have to overcompensate.’
‘That’s the kind of stuff that gets us into wars, right? It’s that kind of insecurity that you do get pushed into doing stuff that’s probably not right for the will of the people,’ Don Jr. said. ‘And that’s what we see from so many of the RINOS in Washington, D.C. right now.’
Now, he appears set to go back to war with DeSantis over Donalds’ candidacy for governor.
President Donald Trump endorsed the congressman in a social media post in late February.
‘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 wrote on February 20.
Ahead of the Iowa caucuses, he took particular issues with DeSantis’ 2024 bid , slamming his father’s competitor for his footwear choice – accusing the governor of ‘wearing heels’ – and his loss of ‘billionaire donors’
‘Byron Donalds would be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida and, should he decide to run, will have my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, BYRON, RUN!’ the president added.
Shortly after, the congressman announced his intention to run in an interview with Sean Hannity.
Though he was careful to praise Governor DeSantis for doing a ‘tremendous job for our state,’ he did not directly address the possibility of DeSantis’ wife running.
Before Donalds even announced his run, the GOP governor who was once Trump’s 2024 rival turned backer was asked about the governor’s race as he is term-limited in 2026, but he declined to endorse the congressman.
‘My view is, is Donald Trump just got into office. I want these congressmen focused on enacting his agenda. They haven’t done very much yet,’ DeSantis said.
DeSantis played up his achievements with Republicans in his state while criticizing Donalds.
‘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,’ the governor said.
The governor won his reelection in 2022 by nearly 20 points, but despite bulldozing his Democratic opponent during the midterms, he was no match for Trump at the national level when he launched his 2024 presidential bid.
President Donald Trump endorsed the congressman in a social media post in late February
Former President Donald Trump and Florida congressman Byron Donalds receiving their order from Downtown House of Pizza in Downtown Fort Myers in 2023
However, it remains to be seen who will have more sway with Republicans in the state in a midterm year.
DeSantis continues to talk up his wife Casey, 44, who has been a vocal supporter of his work in Florida and avid campaigner.
‘People ask me all the time about our wonderful first lady who has done a fantastic job as first lady of Florida,’ DeSantis said.
He also repeated his recent comments that she would do even better in Florida than he did during the last gubernatorial election.
‘I won by the biggest margin that any Republican’s ever won a governor’s race here in Florida, she would do better than me, like there’s no question about that, that would happen,’ he said.
The governor claimed that while Republicans have had a strong showing in his state in recent election, it could change quickly.
‘I would not take anything for granted,’ DeSantis said.
The governor said said he would be raising money even though he is not running next year and would look to ‘build off the success’ his party has had in Florida.
DeSantis continues to talk up his wife Casey, 44, who has been a vocal supporter of his work in Florida and avid campaigner
Donald Trump often brags of having ‘made’ DeSantis, having endorsed him in his 2018 bid for governor
Donalds who represents Florida’s 19th Congressional District, which includes Fort Myers, campaigned aggressively for Trump in 2024.
He was even floated as a potential running mate.
After Trump chose JD Vance as his vice presidential pick, there were reports Donalds was instead setting his sights on the Florida governor’s race and has made that official..
‘For a long time, I’ve been in the trenches, in a lot of these battles, dealing with conservatism,’ he said upon announce he would run.
Donalds suggested he would prioritize lowering insurance costs, promoting the cryptocurrency industry and preserving the waterways of the Everglades, the largest subtropical wilderness in the U.S.
He was working as a financial adviser when then-Gov. Rick Scott appointed him to the board of trustees at a state college, cementing his rise in the state GOP.
He entered the Florida House in 2016, won a seat in the U.S. House in 2020 and has been on the short list for multiple opportunities ever since, including being nominated in January 2023 by the far-right wing of as a candidate for House speaker.
In addition to Casey DeSantis, other potential GOP candidates include former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, who said in January that he was considering a run, and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, though he recently fought with DeSantis over immigration policies.
But Trump’s endorsement may clear the way for Donalds given his dominance in Republican politics, particularly in his adopted home state. Trump established residency in Palm Beach during his first term.
One of the state’s most high-profile Black Republicans, Donalds would become the first African American to serve as governor if he wins.
Donalds and his wife, Erika Donalds, built a reputation for working to transform public education and direct more taxpayer dollars into private and charter schools. A former county school board member, she runs a company that oversees charter schools and a virtual academy.
