LAKELAND— This afternoon, Byron Donalds held a campaign rally with Vice President JD Vance, sending a clear signal that his ties to President Donald Trump and the administration continue to be strong despite recently removing references to Trump from his campaign website.

“Birds of a feather flock together – and both JD Vance and Byron Donalds are rubber stamps for Donald Trump’s agenda that has skyrocketed everyday costs and dismantled critical programs for hardworking Florida families,” said Lisa Zayas, Deputy Communications Director for Florida Watch.

“Donalds spent 17 minutes talking about the ‘Free State of Florida,’ proving once again just how out of touch he is with the reality of hardworking Floridians who are facing an affordability crisis thanks to his costly votes. Let’s be clear: there is nothing ‘free’ about leaving millions without health insurance, to fend for themselves after a hurricane, or with skyrocketing utility rates from data centers.

“Byron Donalds voted for all of it, and he did it in order to pay for tax breaks for his ultra-rich campaign donors. Time and again, Byron Donalds has shown us that he is nothing more than a rubber stamp for Donald Trump’s agenda that has skyrocketed everyday costs and dismantled critical programs.

“We need a steady leader that puts Floridians, not party politics, first, and that person is not Byron Donalds,” said Zayas.

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