Politics
Byron Donalds touts Florida-centric successes in speech to CPAC
In a speech to CPAC attendees, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds alluded to President Donald Trump’s endorsement and his gubernatorial ambitions. But the Naples Republican held off on any formal announcement.
“I just want to say, Mr. President, thank you, and I will never let you down,” the Naples Republican said.
While he urged activists to “stay tuned” regarding his future plans, Donalds’ remarks leaned significantly on conservative victories specific to the state of Florida.
“The phrase down in Florida is ‘Make America Florida.’ There’s a reason why citizens have been leaving blue states to go to Florida,” Donalds said. “There’s a reason why people who immigrate legally — and I stress legally — from some of the worst places in the world come to Florida.”
He also praised the leadership of Republicans who have led the state until now, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose wife Casey DeSantis is reportedly also considering running for Governor.
“There’s a reason why students in Florida and parents in Florida have choice at their fingertips to find the best solution for their children. And that reason is because we have leaders who have been committed to the principles of individual liberty and limited government,” Donalds said.
“They have been committed to those same constitutional principles that are the very foundation of the America First movement and our leaders — Gov. DeSantis and before him Gov. (Rick) Scott and all of the men and women who have served in our Legislature, myself included.”
Donalds served two terms in the Florida House before his 2020 election to Congress.
“Let me tell you this, Florida is not going to stop leading,” Donalds said. “We’re going to build off of what we’ve done, and we’re going to continue to lead bigger, better, faster, greater, safer, freer, because the American dream is for everybody, and we’re going to show the other 49 states how to get it done.”
Donalds also took time to share personalizing stories, mentioning that the prior evening he was in Florida to watch his son, Darin, and teammates at First Baptist Academy win a regional basketball championship. He also offered a shoutout to wife Erika Donalds, a school choice advocate recently tapped to chair the America First Policy Institute’s Center for Education Opportunity and its State Chapter.
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President Donald Trump’s second term has just begun, but a Florida Senator is confident his plan for the future presidential library is poised to success.
Sen. Jason Brodeur, who is carrying the bill (SB 118) that gives Florida’s state government control over any presidential library in the state, is telling OANN host Matt Gaetz that bipartisan support and a favorable path in committees present positives for the bill’s future.
Brodeur, a Republican from Central Florida, observed that there wasn’t even a “cursory backlash” from Democrats.
“Everybody seemed to get that Florida’s never had a presidential library, and that’s pretty neat, no matter what party you’re in,” Brodeur said.
He also noted that in both the Senate and House, the legislation only has two committee references. The Senate bill cleared Community Affairs last week, meaning it could be on the floor early in next month’s Legislative Session.
The bill reserves to the state “all regulatory authority over the establishment, maintenance, activities, and operations of presidential libraries.” It blocks “counties, municipalities, or other political subdivisions from enacting or enforcing any ordinance, resolution, rule, or other measure regarding presidential libraries unless authorized by federal law.”
Central to the legislative premise is the idea that such libraries are “unique national institutions designated to house, preserve, and make accessible the records of former presidents.”
The bill uses the definition of a presidential library adopted federally in 1986 by an act of Congress when Ronald Reagan was the chief executive, encompassing “research facilities and museum facilities,” and enshrining them as part of the National Archives system.
The federal legislation actually applied to Presidents after Reagan, such as George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, as it took effect for Presidents inaugurated for their first terms after 1985, which was when Reagan’s second and final term as President began.
The Rules Committee will be the next stop for this proposal. From there, the full Senate would get to vote on it.
Rep. Alex Andrade’s House companion bill (HB 69) has two committee stops ahead. It has yet to be heard.
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Another presidential poll finds Florida’s Governor taking the bronze medal.
Gov. Ron DeSantis got 7% in the CPAC 2025 straw poll vote, narrowly trailing Steve Bannon (12%) and far behind Vice President JD Vance (61%).
Other Florida politicians also had some backing.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has 3% support, while Sen. Rick Scott is at 1%.
DeSantis continues to be at or below 10% in straw or scientific polls.
An Echelon Insights survey conducted between Feb. 10 and Feb. 13 found the Governor of Florida at 10% support, 29 points behind Vance.
Other polls have shown DeSantis far behind Vance as well.
A January survey from McLaughlin & Associates showed DeSantis at 8%, behind Vance and Donald Trump Jr.
DeSantis was also at 8% in an Echelon Insights poll of the theoretical contest conducted last year, with Vance nearly 30 points ahead of him.
DeSantis’ comments about his future intentions have been all over the place, meanwhile, but he clearly is not closing the door.
“Oh, I haven’t ruled anything out,” DeSantis said in February 2024, addressing the 2028 question during a call with people who pledged to be his delegates at the GOP Convention.
“We’ll see what the future holds,” DeSantis said to a radio host in Iowa in January of last year.
While Vance appears to be the runaway favorite this far out, Trump made news on Super Bowl Sunday when he said Vance was not the 2028 Republican heir apparent during a Fox News interview, though Trump did call the former Ohio Senator and best-selling author “very capable.”
“It’s too early,” the President said.
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