Latest news with #Donalds
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
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Congressman Byron Donalds, Florida gubernatorial prospect, speaks in Panama City Beach.
PANAMA CITY BEACH — U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds stopped into town on June 1 as part of a "Trump Day Dinner" fundraiser held by the Bay County Republican Party of Florida. He's the president's next pick for governor of Florida. Donalds, a Republican, represents Florida's 19th Congressional District, encompassing Fort Myers and Naples. A 2026 Florida gubernatorial candidate, Donalds was endorsed by President Donald Trump in a Feb. 20 Truth Social post. Tho Bishop, chairman of the Bay County Republicans, said Donalds spoke at the dinner at the Todd Herendeen Theatre about current challenges in Congress and his past experiences. "(He spoke on) some of the battles he took on, some of the principles he stood for when he was in Tallahassee that were important," Bishop said. "And those would include standing up for gun rights during the 2018 fight with the red flag laws and his sponsoring legislation that allowed for the community review process in public schools." The dinner featured catered steak and shrimp, and allowed Donalds to rub elbows with community and regional leaders. Panama City Mayor Allan Branch, Commissioner Brian Grainger, Callaway Commissioner Ken Ayers and Lynn Haven City Commissioner Jamie Warrick were all present from the bay side of the county. Panama City Beach Mayor Stuart Tettemer and Commissioner Mary Coburn were present from the beach side. Evan Power, chair of the Republican Party of Florida, was also there alongside Sen. Jay Trumbull. "It was a very successful event, people around the state are talking about it today," Bishop said. Donalds also emphasized the need for debate over ideas and principles rather than personality in the Republican Party. He discussed his experience as a Trump surrogate while on the campaign trail. "It was great to be able to have Congressman Donalds here in Bay County and to show off everything that we've got going on here in the beautiful panhandle," Bishop said. Gov. Ron DeSantis' wife, Casey DeSantis, was considering a gubernatorial run in 2026. There's reportedly been some disagreement between Gov. DeSantis and Donalds in the past, with Donalds acknowledging their relationship is "frayed." A poll released in May showed Donalds with a sizeable lead over Casey DeSantis ― 44% to 25%. But that support came after the James Madison Institute's sample of 516 registered Republican voters, out of 1,200 registered voters altogether, were told Trump had endorsed Donalds – the only officially-declared leading Republican in the race, according to the Tallahassee Democrat's Jim Rosica. This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Rep. Byron Donalds gives talk for Bay County Republicans
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Florida Republican's bill would make Trump orders permanent in bid for US 'dominance' in key industry
FIRST ON FOX: A Republican Florida congressman is looking to codify several of President Donald Trump's executive actions pertaining to domestic energy production through legislative action he took Monday. Rep. Byron Donalds, who has been endorsed by Trump to replace term-limited Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, introduced the "Strengthening American Nuclear Energy Act" in an effort to codify four of the president's executive actions related to boosting nuclear energy production and use in the United States. Trump signed the orders late last-month. "In November, the American people granted us an unprecedented mandate to implement President Trump's America First Agenda. Now more than ever, it's up to Congress to hold up our end of the bargain," Donalds told Fox News Digital. "Energy security is national security, and it's imperative that our nation re-asserts our dominance in the nuclear space." On May 23, Trump signed four executive orders aimed at accelerating the development and deployment of nuclear energy in the United States. Nuclear Energy Is One Of The 'Most Important Things' Trump Has Focused On: Rick Perry One of those orders, the "Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security," directs the Army to build a nuclear reactor "at a domestic military base or installation" by September 30, 2028. The order also directs the Secretary of Energy to establish artificial intelligence data centers that run on nuclear energy at Department of Energy facilities across the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia, with the goal of having the first one completed within the next 30-months. Finally, in addition to these measures and others, the wide-ranging executive order directs the country to pursue at least 20 new international nuclear cooperation agreements. Read On The Fox News App Meanwhile, another one of the orders that Donalds' legislation seeks to codify compels the Secretaries of Defense, Transportation and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to prepare a comprehensive report within 240 days of when the order was signed. The report is supposed to include a national strategy to support the management of spent nuclear fuel and other "high-level waste," an evaluation of the current reprocessing and recycling efforts related to spent nuclear fuel and recommendations on how to improve it, and a program to develop methods and techniques for transporting used and unused nuclear fuel. 5 Priorities Crucial To Success Of Trump's energy council The order also includes several other timelines, including one for the publication of a report on how to strengthen domestic uranium conversion capacity and enrichment capabilities. It also imposes timelines for the government to update its nuclear energy policies to spur production, and says that at least 10 large nuclear reactors must be under construction no later than 2030. The final two orders from Trump, which Donalds is seeking to codify, are largely aimed at reducing regulatory burdens surrounding nuclear energy production. The first of the two seeks to reform the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in order to help accelerate domestic nuclear energy production. The order aims to do away with what it describes as the NRC's excessive caution that has hindered the growth of nuclear energy in the United States. Trump Can Power The Us Into The Future With A Muscular Nuclear Energy Policy The second regulatory-focused nuclear energy directive from Trump is aimed at reforming the Department of Energy's nuclear reactor testing, in an effort to speed up the development of nuclear power plants. For instance, the order requires officials at the Energy Department to revise internal procedures to ensure that new reactors can become operational within two years of when builders apply to construct it. The safety risks of nuclear energy have long been a debate among energy policymakers in Washington. Part of Trump's orders are to expedite some of the safety regulations which his administration claims have been stifling domestic nuclear energy production. However, nuclear energy experts, such as Ernest Moniz, an Obama-era energy secretary and nuclear physicist, have said Trump's move to reform the NRC could be problematic. "Reorganizing and reducing the independence of the NRC could lead to the hasty deployment of advanced reactors with safety and security flaws," Moniz told the Washington Post. "A major event would, like those in the past, increase regulatory requirements and set back nuclear energy for a long time." Others, such as Paul Dickman, a former senior staffer on the NRC, have said Trump's reforms have "no scientific foundation." "You can't just do this by fiat," Dickman told the article source: Florida Republican's bill would make Trump orders permanent in bid for US 'dominance' in key industry
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Byron Donalds says he supports repealing Florida's red-flag law
U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, a GOP candidate for Florida governor, wants to repeal the "red-flag" law. Byron Donalds says 'job one' for him if elected governor of Florida next year would be the repeal two provisions of the gun-safety package passed by the Florida Legislature following the shooting massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018. However, so does Ron DeSantis, and the two measures in question — the state's 'red-flag' law and the ban on individuals under the age of 21 from purchasing a long gun — very much remain the law of the land in Florida. Donalds appeared Thursday on the Bob Rose Show in Gainesville, where he was asked if he would push for Florida to legalize the open carrying of firearms, another idea the governor has said he supports but which the Legislature has not enacted. 'I would support and push for that, but I think that the bigger thing that we need to get done is really unwinding the red flag laws in our state,' Donalds said. 'When I was in the Legislature, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas bill came through the Legislature. I was a freshman at that time and I opposed that legislation. And I opposed it because I thought that red flag laws really did take away your Fifth Amendment rights as a citizen, and I also felt that there should not be a two-tier system for adults between the ages of 18 and 21. 'I felt that was wrong then, and I still feel that way, so I would tell you that making sure that those two provisions — those constitutional rights are actually restored will probably be job one.' Formally known as risk-protection orders, the red flag law allows courts to order someone to surrender their firearms if they pose a threat to themselves or others. Former Panhandle Republican Joel Rudman filed a measure to repeal that law late last year, but he resigned to run for Congress in January, and his legislation was never picked up by any of his colleagues during this session. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
If Casey DeSantis finds God at Waffle House, maybe she'll be our next governor
Casey DeSantis needs to get to a Waffle House and wait for divine intervention. It's the only way to save her faltering, yet-to-be-announced campaign for governor. Allow me to explain: It wasn't that long ago that Florida's First Lady, the most likeable DeSantis, seemed a sure bet to succeed her husband, the perpetually aggrieved Ron, who is whining down his time in office as a term-limited governor. Casey DeSantis is a more natural politician and a mother of three young children. She also weathered a bout of cancer that included six rounds of chemotherapy, six weeks of radiation and three surgeries. 'Through God's grace, I'm here,' she said. To give her some gravitas, the former TV news anchor had a resume booster she could hype on the campaign trail. She became the face of Hope Florida, a non-profit community welfare organization created to shuffle Florida's poor away from existing public services and towards church groups willing to help them. But being the architect of Hope Florida went from a highlight to a liability after revelations that $10 million the state received as an overpayment from a Medicaid provider got funneled to Hope Florida, instead of state coffers, and ended up paying for ads against last November's recreational marijuana ballot amendment. Opinion: Hope Florida scandal puts obstacle in Casey DeSantis' pathway to governor Meanwhile, her only real obstacle for the Republican nomination, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, a glib MAGA mouthpiece from Naples, won the all-important endorsement of President Donald Trump. Trump, who had a penchant for calling Florida's governor 'Ron DeSanctimonius,' launched DeSantis' longshot campaign for governor eight years ago by endorsing him and calling DeSantis a 'brilliant young leader.' But in the following years, DeSantis revealed himself as an abrasive guy with his own ambitions, a semi-loyalist incapable of achieving the Rubio level of emasculating, obsequious fealty that Trump required. So, Trump did something unusual. He endorsed Donalds for governor in February — even before Donalds announced that he would run for the office. 'Byron Donalds would be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida and, should he decide to run, will have my Complete and Total Endorsement,' Trump posted on social media. 'RUN, BYRON, RUN!' Donalds got the 'complete and total' endorsement. That's the "top and best" kind from Trump. Five days after Trump's premature endorsement, Donalds announced he was running. Lately, Donalds appears to be tidying up his personal history in preparation for next year's election. As a young adult, the now-46-year-old Donalds got arrested for distribution of marijuana and passing bad checks. He appeared on the Christian Broadcasting Network recently to credit God for saving him from the path he was on in his younger life. It was while he was rolling napkins in 2001 at a Tallahassee Cracker Barrel, where he worked as a waiter, he said. 'The Lord spoke to me and said, 'Stop running from me,'' Donalds said, 'and so it knocked me back.' The way Donalds tells it, there was a church bus full of women coming from a religious revival at the restaurant. He ran out into the parking lot, stopping them from leaving to tell him the Lord was speaking to him, Donalds said. 'They pour out of the bus and they all pray over me,' Donald said. 'And I gave my life to Christ in the parking lot of Cracker Barrel.' (As a side note, I too have been saved at the Cracker Barrel — but only from heart disease by passing up the country fried steak drenched in that gray goo that's called 'sawmill gravy.') You see what Donalds has done here? He has engineered a clever reputation makeover by converting the crime-ing part of his life into a story about God saving him at the Cracker Barrel. OK, Casey DeSantis, you've got to respond. You can't just let Donalds steamroll you by getting both Trump's and God's endorsement, a winning quinella in any Republican primary these days. Sure, Casey DeSantis beat cancer, but lots of people beat cancer. She needs a personal visit from God at an iconic Florida location. And Donalds has already beat her to the Cracker Barrel. Shucks! No epiphanies among the cinnamon brooms for her. No chicken 'n dumplin' revelations. She'lll have to find another spot, one without rocking chairs out front. Opinion: Woke alert! Political indoctrination (right-wing) now on syllabus at New College | Opinion I recommend a Waffle House. Any Waffle House. They're all holy temples capable of Florida electoral miracles, as far as I can tell. People speak in tongues at the Waffle House, especially after closing time at the local bars. And the meek shall inherit the booth near the bathroom. Casey DeSantis should just grab a seat, order up some grub and wait for the Lord to show up amid the scattered, smothered, and covered hashed browns. If God is speaking to Donalds, They/Them will probably speak to Casey DeSantis too, especially if she's down in the polls. It's her only chance. Get thee to a Waffle House, Casey. Wait for a message from God and bring some Tums. Frank Cerabino is a news columnist with The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network-Florida. He can be reached at fcerabino@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: FL governor race pits Cracker Barrel vs. Waffle House (kinda) | Opinion
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Court records suggest probe into Jacksonville's alleged illegal gun registry is first of its kind
The State Attorney's Office criminal investigation into an allegedly illegal gun registry kept by the City of Jacksonville might end up being the first time the state's 21-year-old ban on gun registries is leveraged against a local government and or government officials. At least nine current and former city officials have been subpoenaed as part of the investigation so far. Action News Jax investigates was first to uncover how the city began logging the names of people who entered city buildings while carrying concealed firearms. The practice started on July 24, 2023, according to public records. It was 23 days after Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan took office and the state's permitless carry law took effect. The mayor's office has claimed the policy predates her administration, pointing to a draft of the policy dated June 30, 2023. 'This directive was written before Mayor Deegan was sworn into office. It was sent from a city employee to a private security firm, and she was never aware of it. As soon as we found out about it, the practice was stopped,' a spokesperson for the mayor's office told Action News Jax in an emailed statement. 'Proactive measures are currently being taken to review all city policies, the bulk of which were inherited from past administrations, to ensure compliance with state law, and we are reviewing the approval process to ensure there are proper checks and balances moving forward.' On Friday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called for anyone responsible for the creation of the city's gun-owner logs to be held responsible. 'Doing these secret gun registries is completely unacceptable,' DeSantis said. Based on records obtained through the Florida court system, Action News Jax has discovered this appears to be the first case of its kind. In our review of the 42 cases dating back to 2004 that cited the section containing the prohibition on gun registries, none of those cases involved local governments or government officials. Now, Jacksonville's apparently unprecedented case is also becoming an issue in the upcoming gubernatorial race. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] 'Nothing just happens because some low-level staffer did it. So that's why I feel this need to be looked into,' Trump-backed Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL 19th District) said. Congressman Donalds spoke explosively with Action News Jax on Monday. He argued that this issue needs to be front and center for the legislature, Governor, and Attorney General. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] 'Whoever is responsible for this, in my view, needs to be removed from office because that's a violation of the 2nd Amendment. You're not allowed to do that,' Donalds said. While declining to comment specifically on the Governor and Congressman's statements, the Mayor's Office did comment on the investigation. 'We have full faith and confidence in the State Attorney's investigation, and we continue to fully cooperate,' said a spokesperson with the mayor's office in an emailed statement. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
