US President Donald Trump issued criticism toward media outlets on Saturday in response to reports suggesting that GOP Representative Byron Donalds of Florida had eliminated multiple mentions of the POTUS’ backing for his gubernatorial campaign from his campaign website.
Trump denounced the reporting as “Another Fake Story” through a Truth Social post, referencing his electoral victories in Florida across his three presidential campaigns.
Trump slams media for reports of Byron Donalds dropping his endorsement
“Another Fake Story is that a very close friend of mine, a man I endorsed very early, Byron Donalds, is taking me off his website and Campaign materials,” Trump stated in a lengthy post.
“I won Florida by Millions of Votes, getting the Highest Vote Tally in History — Three times! My numbers are better now than they were at the Election,” he continued.
“If Florida thought the story that Byron ‘dropped’ me was true, he would lose the Election, and that would be a terrible thing because he’s going to be a fantastic Governor!” Trump wrote.
Byron Donalds’ campaign homepage
The gubernatorial candidate’s campaign eliminated multiple references to the president’s name from its website, including a prominent banner that urged supporters to “chip in to support Trump Endorsed Byron Donalds.”
The homepage now features the tagline, “Fighting to defend the Florida dream,” accompanied by a rotating display of endorsements below, including one from the president.
The President’s message featured a screenshot displaying Donalds’s statement regarding media coverage of these developments, wherein the gubernatorial hopeful expressed pride in receiving Trump’s backing and included an image of the two of them standing together behind the Resolute desk.
Byron Donalds’ X tweet and community note
Donalds’ social media post was promptly flagged with a community note stating that “Donald’ campaign removed at least 8 Trump references from his homepage” and that the candidate “didn’t mention Trump during his primary victory speech in Orlando, while praising other Republican leaders.”
This comes as multiple Republican contenders competing in swing states attempt to separate themselves from the Trump administration, responding to growing public frustration regarding elevated expenses and continuous U.S. military engagement with Iran.
Trump’s condemnation of the “Fake News Media” in his Saturday statement also came after his recent choice to prohibit certain news organizations from accessing the White House premises.