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Byron Donalds

 
Byron Donalds Image
Title
Representative
Florida's 19th District
Party Affiliation
Republican
2023
2024
Social Media Accounts
Twitter
: @
RepDonaldsPress
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Representative Offices
Address
1039 SE 9th Ave
Suite
Suite 308
City/State/Zip
Cape Coral FL, 33990
Phone
239-599-6033
Address
3299 Tamiami Trail East
Suite
Suite 105
City/State/Zip
Naples FL, 34112
Phone
239-252-6225
News
10/05/2024 --bgdailynews
Donald Trump's staffers are on edge. There have been death threats directed at his aides, and his team isn’t as able to quickly organize the mass rallies that have always been the signature of his campaigns. The attack at a...
10/01/2024 --postbulletin
Trump echoed the charge in his debate with Harris, but defenders say the old law hamstrung medical professionals.
10/01/2024 --nbcnews
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said he believed Ohio Sen. JD Vance would be able to focus on issues during the vice presidential debate, and that he believes Minnesota Gov. Walz with try to "muck up" the discussion with personal attacks.
09/20/2024 --foxnews
Some House Republicans are mulling legislation to move the Secret Service out of the Department of Homeland Security after two attempts on former President Trump's life in two months.
09/12/2024 --necn
Around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, tens of millions of television viewers watched as Donald Trump spread an unsubstantiated and racially charged rumor running wild online.“In Springfield they’re eating dogs,” the former president said, referring to an Ohio city dealing with an influx of Haitian immigrants. “They’re eating the cats. They’re eating ... the pets of the people that live there. And this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.”The extraordinary moment — the airing of a claim worthy of a chain email while participating in a prime-time presidential debate — probably puzzled most of the 67.1 million people tuned in for Trump’s clash with Vice President Kamala Harris. But the rumor, which has been criticized as perpetuating racist tropes, was already thriving in right-wing corners of the internet and being amplified by those close to Trump, including his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio.No one involved in Trump’s debate preparations or in a position to speak for his campaign agreed to discuss the strategy on the record or answer questions about how it mutated from a fringe obsession to a debate stage sound bite. “Just, suffice to say, he was aware of it. He decided to bring it up,” Tim Murtaugh, a senior Trump adviser, told NBC News. “Now it’s a major story. We would otherwise probably not be talking about immigration if not for that.”Others close to Trump expressed misgivings about the execution.Decision 20248 hours ago‘We think we've discussed everything': Trump explains why he won't debate Harris againnews9 hours agoHarris raises $47 million in 24 hours after Trump debate“Immigration should be talked about, because Harris as border czar has failed,” said a Trump adviser, who, like others, was granted anonymity to speak candidly. “Did that issue come out in the best way? Probably not. But it’s not something to be shied away from.”Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally from South Carolina, questioned the former president’s focus. “I don’t know about dogs and cats,” Graham said in an interview Thursday. “But there are numerous young women who have been raped and murdered by people who were in our custody here illegally, and we let them go. That’s what I’d be talking about. That should be the face of a broken immigration system, not cats and dogs.”While the fallout has been a combination of bafflement and outrage, the makings of the moment are rooted in grievances that have long defined and animated Trump and his followers — and on the platforms where those grievances blossom.Trump, who launched his first presidential campaign with a speech that broadly characterized Mexican immigrants as dangerous criminals, has kept immigration and border security issues central to his third White House bid. Meanwhile, the right-wing social media ecosystem that rose up around his 2016 run has calcified as an additive and disruptive force: Trump now has his own social media network, Truth Social, and ally Elon Musk controls X, formerly Twitter. Vance in particular has reveled in fighting the culture wars and other right-wing causes online and often assumes a trolling posture on X while acting as a filter of information between the fringe and the mainstream.Vance and others close to Trump have argued that, even if the claims are false, they have served a purpose by pushing the Springfield story into the spotlight.“The media didn’t care about the carnage wrought by these policies until we turned it into a meme about cats, and that speaks to the media’s failure to care about what’s going on in these communities,” Vance told CNN after Tuesday’s debate. “If we have to meme about it to get the media to care, we’re going to keep on doing it, because the media could, should, care about what’s going on.”The issue in Springfield, about 45 miles from Columbus in southwest Ohio, involves thousands of Haitian immigrants who have settled in the city in recent years, many of them there legally under federal programs after having fled violence and political turmoil. Residents and political leaders, including Vance, have for months raised economic and public safety concerns, asserting that an influx of as many as 20,000 immigrants to a city that in 2020 counted a population of 59,000 has strained resources.Claims about pets being abducted, slaughtered and eaten are more recent. Blood Tribe, a national neo-Nazi group, was among the early purveyors of the rumor in August, posting about it on Gab and Telegram, social networks popular with extremists. While the group’s leader has taken credit for Trump’s indulgence of the claims, Blood Tribe’s reach is unknown; its accounts on those sites have fewer than 1,000 followers.Some Blood Tribe members also planned a couple of events in the real world, like a small Aug. 10 march in Springfield protesting Haitian immigration and an appearance at a city commission meeting later that month.The rumor soon crossed over to mainstream social media, like Facebook and X. NewsGuard, a firm that monitors misinformation, traced the origins to an undated post from a private Facebook group that was shared in a screenshot posted to X on Sept. 5. “Remember when my hometown of Springfield Ohio was all over National news for the Haitians?” the user wrote. “I said all the ducks were disappearing from our parks? Well, now it’s your pets.”Around that time, other social media posts about the rumor sprouted and went viral, some of them based in part on residents’ comments at public hearings. On Sept. 6, there were 1,100 posts on X mentioning Haitians, migrants or immigrants eating pets, cats, dogs and geese, according to PeakMetrics, a research company. The next day there were 9,100 — a 720% increase.The number of posts spiked again Monday, to 47,000, when Vance advanced the rumor on X.“Months ago, I raised the issue of Haitian illegal immigrants draining social services and generally causing chaos all over Springfield, Ohio,” Vance wrote, referring to remarks he had made at a Senate hearing. “Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country.”Vance, as he noted in his post, had been raising the issue for months, but in less provocative terms. “Now go to Springfield, go to Clark County, Ohio, and ask the people there whether they have been enriched by 20,000 newcomers in four years,” he said in early July, before Trump selected him as his running mate, at NatCon, a right-wing nationalist conference. “Housing is through the roof. People, middle-class people in Springfield who have lived there sometimes for generations cannot afford a place to live.”Soon after Vance’s post Monday, Springfield police officials told the Springfield News-Sun — and, later, NBC News and other national media — that they had received no credible reports of such incidents. Vance issued a follow-up post the next day, writing that his office had received reports of “pets or local wildlife” being “abducted by Haitian migrants.”“It’s possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false,” he added.But by that point, Trump was fully on board with them. At 5:19 p.m. Tuesday, less than four hours before his debate with Harris, Trump posted to Truth Social a meme showing cats armed for war and wearing MAGA hats. Fifteen minutes later, he shared a second meme depicting him surrounded by cats and ducks. Then came the debate. When moderator David Muir of ABC News asked about his opposition to a bipartisan border bill, a distracted Trump first insisted on responding to a jab Harris had landed about people leaving his campaign rallies early. His meandering answer eventually turned to Springfield, where, he said, “they’re eating dogs ... and cats.”Discomfort and disapproval from Trump’s fellow Republicans were soon palpable.“I want to be clear on this. That is a very minor, minor issue happening in the United States,” Rep. Byron Donalds, a Trump loyalist from Florida, told NBC News when asked about the pets remark in the post-debate spin room.Those looking for someone to blame offered several suspects. Laura Loomer, a right-wing political activist and conspiracy theorist who had been posting about the rumor, traveled with Trump to the debate Tuesday. “Why do you want to speak to me? I don’t work for President Trump,” Loomer responded when reached by NBC News.Loomer and Trump did not speak on the plane ride, a source familiar with the trip said. And a Trump aide noted that Loomer “is not a member of our staff.”“The president is the most well-read man in America, and he has a pulse on everything that is going on,” the aide added. The Springfield rumor “made it to his desk. He was made aware of what these residents were saying.”Others focused their suspicions on Vance, given how he had forced the issue into the spotlight.“It’s all JD,” a source linked to the campaign said.Another source close to Trump’s campaign said Trump and Vance did not discuss the Springfield issue ahead of the debate.“I don’t know what he was thinking,” a different Trump ally said of his choice to bring up the Springfield rumor unprompted. The blame, this person said, solely rests with Trump.“You don’t prep Donald Trump,” the ally added. “You can make suggestions.”This article first appeared on NBCNews.com. Read more from NBC News here:Harris’ policy agenda has gaps and ambiguities as she shifts to the centerPerson shot after tackling man at pro-Israel demonstrationTrump says he would end all taxes on overtime pay at first post-debate rally
09/12/2024 --rollcall
The Secret Service leads planning for high-profile happenings deemed as National Special Security Events. In the past those have included inaugurations and State of the Union speeches. Above, workers install a security fence around the Capitol in March, ahead of the State of the Union.
09/11/2024 --signalscv
By Janice Hisle Contributing Writer PHILADELPHIA — Supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump were divided over who won Tuesday’s presidential debate, which candidate appealed most to [...]The post Opinions divided over Trump-Harris debate appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
09/07/2024 --reflector
It looks like the fight between the Harris and Trump campaigns over Donald Trump's appearance at Arlington National Cemetery is intensifying, not diminishing. Kamala Harris herself posted a statement on X using Trump's visit to mark the third anniversary of...
09/03/2024 --grandforksherald
Focusing on rural outreach, North Dakota Democrats are campaigning to challenge Republican dominance and address voter concerns.
08/30/2024 --foxnews
Some Trump allies in Florida revealed their plans for voting on Amendment 4, which would enshrine the right to an abortion into the state's constitution.
08/30/2024 --westernjournal
Vice President Kamala Harris’ much-anticipated CNN interview on Thursday did not go as she would have hoped, at least according to presidential election odds makers. Newsweek reported, “The vice president [...]The post Election Odds Update: How Did Kamala Harris' Widely Panned CNN Interview Affect Her? appeared first on The Western Journal.
08/27/2024 --foxnews
Former President Donald Trump's running mate Sen. JD Vance is spending most of his time on the campaign trail in the battlegrounds of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.
08/27/2024 --courant
Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump return to the campaign trail this week as the presidential nominees head toward a Sept. 10 debate showdown — but with the GOP standard bearer casting doubt it will even happen. Harris will look to keep the momentum from her Democratic National Convention going with a bus tour in south Georgia that will end with a Thursday evening rally in Savannah ...
08/26/2024 --foxnews
President Biden has spent weeks on vacation even as the crisis in the Middle East spirals out of control, and his critics are noticing.
08/22/2024 --duluthnewstribune
I take offense at the way some Republican leaders, including former President Donald Trump, disrespect veterans.
08/19/2024 --wfla
Following a hasty rebranding effort, Democrats open their 2024 Convention in Chicago on Monday riding a tide of momentum that has completely reshaped the party's prospects for retaining the White House for the next four years.
08/19/2024 --columbian
CHICAGO (AP) — A refreshed Democratic Party reintroduces itself to a divided nation this week, having been transformed by the money, momentum, relief and even joy that followed Vice President Kamala Harris ‘ rise to the top of its ticket.
08/19/2024 --wvnews
A refreshed Democratic Party reintroduces itself to a divided nation this week with a convention that opens Monday. The party has been transformed by the money, momentum, relief and even joy that followed Vice President Kamala Harris’ rise to the...
08/19/2024 --huffpost
Beneath the surface, real questions loom about the depth of Harris' newfound support, the breadth of her coalition and the strength of her movement.
08/15/2024 --foxnews
Aiming to put pressure on Vice President Harris to hold a news conference and sit for an interview, former President Trump on Thursday holds his second news conference in a week
08/15/2024 --sun_sentinel
Walz accepted later on Wednesday and Vance responded Thursday that he would attend on Oct. 1. He also challenged Walz to meet on Sept. 18 on CNN.
08/11/2024 --nypost
With polls showing “booming” support for Kamala Harris, “GOP strategists might take heart in what could be called the Harris boom-and-bust cycle," notes the Washington Examiner's Byron York.
08/07/2024 --troyrecord
The echo of Trump’s claim comes as the Republican nominee has tried to cut into Harris’ fundraising and media attention following her taking over President Joe Biden’s campaign after the president quit the race.
08/07/2024 --chicagotribune
Donald Trump's questioning of Kamala Harris' racial identity at a confab of Black journalists would have been funny if it weren't pathetic.
08/07/2024 --foxnews
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer spoke with Fox News Digital shortly after Vice President Kamala Harris announced his state's governor will be her running mate.
08/06/2024 --foxnews
Democratic superdelegates, also known as automatic delegates, celebrated Vice President Harris choosing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her 2024 running mate.
08/06/2024 --rawstory
A furious Donald Trump unleashed a torrent of rage in the pre-dawn hours Tuesday after an ABC News correspondent called him out for racial "slurs." Trump's post-midnight Truth Social post railed against ABC News' George Stephanopoulos over a contentious interview with a Florida Republican who tried to defend the former president questioning of Vice President Kamala Harris' race. "I watched three weeks ago as George Slopadopolus interviewed Crooked Joe Biden, doing everything possible to keep him in the race after his terrible Presidential Debate performance," Trump wrote about 12:20 a.m. ET. "Liddle’ George, of ABC FAKE NEWS, was so solicitous and nice, asking easy questions and doing whatever was necessary to make Sleepy, the WORST President in the history of our Country (Kamabla is the WORST V.P.), look alert and sharp."It didn’t work, but he tried!"Trump has amped up his anti-media rhetoric in recent days after he responded to tough questions at the National Association of Black Journalists convention last week with responses commentators condemned as racist and likened to a train wreck. ABC News has become a particular point of frustration for Trump after correspondent Rachel Scott asked him to justify remarks that Black lawmakers born in this country should "go back where they came from" and describing Black prosecutors as "rabid" and "animals."On Monday, Trump appeared on the live stream of influencer Adin Ross, who famously got a friend arrested in Romania after he urged him to flee on his live stream, and insulted Scott again. "I didn't know who she was, but she was nasty," Trump said. ALSO READ: Don’t be fooled: Project 2025 is already happeningTrump didn't rail against Scott on Tuesday, but he appeared furious that Stephanopoulos challenged Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) in an interview Monday to justify his remarks on Harris' race. "You just did it again!" Stephanopoulos told Donalds when he tried to argue Harris' Indian lineage validated Trump's comments. "Every single answer you gave, you repeated the slur." In the earlier hours, Trump echoed the insults he hurled at Scott the day before."I watched Slopadopolus viciously attack Congressman Byron Donalds, a future star in the Republican Party, with nasty and totally inappropriate questions, the exact opposite of the treatment given to Crooked Joe. The good news is that Byron swatted him away like a fly, not to be heard from again!"In a follow up post, Trump called Harris a coward, an insult she and a growing number of Truth Social users have hurled against him after he backed away from an ABC News debate slated for next month. Trump now insists Harris, with whom he dubbed yet another nickname, must debate him on Fox News."Kamabla Harris is afraid," Trump wrote. "Will be easier to defeat on the Debate Stage than Crooked Joe Biden, just watch!"
07/30/2024 --foxnews
Rep. Carlos Gimenez said he wears the Cuba regime's derision of him like a 'badge of honor,' after reports surfaced the regime is again trying to interfere in elections.
07/26/2024 --huffpost
The Heritage Foundation used mobile ad data to imply a conspiracy theory about Thomas Crooks, signifying a new era of political groups tracking citizens’ movements.
07/26/2024 --foxnews
Republican lawmakers want a "complete and total" moratorium on Venezuelan migration into the U.S. after a murder of a 12-year-old girl allegedly by Venezuelan migrants.
07/26/2024 --rollcall
Balloons drop from the rafters after former President Donald Trump’s acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 18.
07/25/2024 --sun_sentinel
It’s too soon to brand Sen. JD Vance as the surefire heir to Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” throne.
07/23/2024 --foxnews
GOP Rep. Andy Ogles spearheaded a letter to Vice President Kamala Harris calling on her to invoke the 25th Amendment over President Biden's health concerns.
07/22/2024 --abc4
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle faced a barrage of questions Monday about the assassination attempt of former President Trump but offered few answers, infuriating lawmakers who increased their calls for her resignation. Cheatle took fire from all sides, with Democrats joining the GOP in both their frustration with the director and disbelief over her inability [...]
07/22/2024 --huffpost
Several GOP members flirted with conspiracy theories that have been percolating on social media since the shooting.
07/22/2024 --benzinga
Director of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Kimberly Cheatle appeared before the House Oversight Committee on Monday following a nationwide call for answers following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on July 13.Hearing Takeaways: Cheatle offered vague commentary on the implications of the attempt. The director said that the USSS “will move heaven and earth” to make sure that an event like the one on July 13 would not happen again.“We failed,” Cheatle said in her opening statement. During an aggressive line of questioning by Nancy Mace (R-SC), Cheatle agreed that the attempt was “preventable.”Several representatives — including committee chair James Comer (R-KY), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and others — called on Cheatle to resign her post.“I think I am the best person to lead the Secret Service at this time," Cheatle said under questioning by Virginia Foxx (R-VA).Cheatle repeatedly insisted that she would not comment on ...Full story available on Benzinga.com
07/19/2024 --columbian
MILWAUKEE — The third Republican coronation of Donald Trump is complete, this time with talk of divine intervention as he was praised as “fearless” and a “hero” by two professional fighters and a “bad ass” by a rock star.
 
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