Florida’s Republican Representative Byron Donalds, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, is reportedly on Trump’s shortlist for vice presidential candidates. However, a decade ago, Donalds publicly celebrated Trump’s decision not to challenge then-President Barack Obama for the presidency.
In May 2011, Donalds wrote on Facebook, “Trump won’t run. Thank God!” CNN’s KFile recently uncovered several instances of Donalds criticizing Trump on social media and in interviews during 2011 and 2012. At the time, Donalds was a vocal tea party activist campaigning for a congressional seat.
Donalds criticized Trump’s protectionist trade policies and his birtherism comments about Obama. He once wrote, “Trump is a huge distraction, and cares more about himself than the country in my opinion, but I could care less about him.”
Despite these past criticisms, Donalds is not the only potential Republican vice-presidential candidate who has previously criticized Trump. Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance and New York Rep. Elise Stefanik have also made public criticisms of Trump in the past.
However, Donalds has since become one of Trump’s most effective surrogates, particularly in attracting Black male voters from President Joe Biden. His endorsement of Trump over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last year propelled him into Trump’s inner circle.
Despite the potential complications of a Trump-Donalds ticket due to their shared Florida residency, Donalds’ past comments highlight the extent of Trump’s influence on the GOP. Once a proponent of free trade and federal government downsizing, Donalds now supports Trump’s calls for import tariffs and entitlement program protection.
Donalds’ political journey has seen him go from a failed 2012 congressional bid to a successful 2016 election to the Florida House of Representatives. By the time he was elected to Congress in 2020, he had fully embraced the Trump agenda, aligning himself closely with the former president’s policies and rhetoric.
However, his past tea party activism and support for outsourcing and privatizing Social Security and Medicare could potentially cause friction in his vice presidential aspirations. His past comments could be seen as a liability in the ongoing behind-the-scenes vice presidential selection process.