U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds is discussing rumors that he was going to be part of Donald Trump’s administration, including being considered for Vice President and whether he wanted to be a Cabinet Secretary.
“I will tell you that it was really an honor. Not something I expected. It really popped up on … the periphery there and it came up and it really took on a life of its own. But I was really honored to even be considered. You know, you don’t get into something like this in politics thinking, oh man, one day I’m going to be a vice presidential candidate,” Donalds told Larry Elder this week.
Donalds, who has been in Congress since 2022 and who is now the Trump-backed front-runner in the race for Governor, said “being VP would have been awesome,” but lauded JD Vance’s performance in the same role.
The Congressman also downplayed speculation in 2024 and 2025 that he could have ended up in the administration in another capacity, a narrative that surfaced after the Naples Republican traveled the country to help motivate Black men to vote for Trump.
“I know some people were like, weren’t you trying to get a job in the Cabinet? No, I was not trying to get a job in the Cabinet. I didn’t want to move to Washington DC,” Donalds said.
