Topline
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., removed numerous references to President Donald Trump from his Florida gubernatorial campaign website, joining a string of other Republicans distancing themselves from the president as his low approval rating threatens to be a drag on the party’s midterm prospects.
Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., speaks on stage on the first day of the 2026 Republican National Convention at the American Airlines Center on September 09, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Donalds’ new campaign website is void of previous Trump references, including a link to “Chip in to Support Trump Endorsed Byron Donalds” at the top of the homepage, along with several other references to Trump’s endorsement and a photo of Donalds and his wife Erika with Trump, multiple outlets reported.
“Affordability”—a term Trump has mocked—is first among Donalds’ list of priorities, replacing “Enact the Trump Agenda.”
A total of eight Trump references were taken off the website, according to the Miami Herald, citing website tracker Visualping.
Donalds joins multiple other Republicans who have removed prominent references to Trump on their websites, including at least seven Republican congressional candidates in battleground races, according to the Washington Post.
Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., who is running for Senate, also removed a photo of himself with Trump from the top of his website and replaced “America First,” a Trump slogan, with “Kentucky First, Always,” The Daily Beast reported.
NEWS PEG
The move comes after election forecaster Sabato’s Crystal Ball moved the Florida gubernatorial race from “likely Republican” to “leans Republican,” citing “close polling, a bad political environment, and possible exhaustion with long periods of Republican leadership.”
CRUCIAL QUOTE
“Our campaign website reflects Byron’s focus on the issues that matter most to Floridians — affordability, insurance costs, and government transparency,” Gates McGavick, a Donalds campaign spokesperson, told the Miami Herald. Forbes has reached out to Donalds’ campaign for comment.
Tangent
Other Republicans running in competitive races have broken with Trump on prominent issues. Republican New Hampshire Senate candidate John Sununu recently told Fox News he has “never even met the president” and dismissed Trump’s promise to give voters $5,000 each if Republicans win the midterms. He has also said he disagrees with Trump’s handling of the Iran war and his tariff policy, New Hampshire Public Radio reported. Two Republicans, Rep. Mike Rogers, who is running for Senate in Michigan, and Rep. Ashley Hinson, running for Senate in Iowa, also called for an end to the Iran war on Monday. Rogers said, “the war with Iran needs to end and end quickly” in a campaign ad posted to X. Hinson tweeted, “Iowans are being squeezed and shouldn’t have to foot the bill at the pump or the checkout line for the war in Iran,” calling for it “to be brought to a successful and immediate end.”
Big Number
38%. That’s Trump’s average approval rating in Nate Silver’s Silver Bulletin poll tracker as of Tuesday. His net approval rating is at -21.5, an all-time low. At this point in Trump’s first term, he had a -13 net approval rating, while former President Joe Biden had a net -11.3 approval rating at this point in his presidency.
Key Background
Trump has dug in his heels on policy stances that polls show are widely unpopular with the American public, including backing data centers construction, tariffs and largely opposing artificial intelligence regulations. He has also mocked affordability, consistently claiming it’s “fake,” despite cost-of-living concerns being a top issue for Americans in the midterm elections. As the downward spiral for Trump’s approval rating has deepened, polls and trackers show Democrats’ chances of winning the House have increased in recent weeks.
further reading
Which Party Will Win Congress In The Midterms? Polls Show Democrats With Stronger Advantage (Forbes)
Trump’s Approval Rating Reaches New Floors In 2 Polls—As Support Among GOP Voters Slips (Forbes)
Hottest 2026 Midterm Races—Democrats Lead In Texas, Michigan, Iowa (Updated Daily) (Forbes)
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