Trump fumes at media over Byron Donalds reporting: ‘If Florida thought…’
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 reacts as Byron Donalds removes POTUS references from his campaign website. (AP)Trump denounced the reporting as "Another Fake Story" through a Truth Social post, referencing his electoral victories in Florida across his three presidential campaigns.
“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.
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.
Donalds' social media post was promptly flagged with a community note stating that “Donalds’ 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.
Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More
