Byron Donalds blames Ron DeSantis campaign for ‘dumb story’ on Black history standards

donalds
The Governor questions if Donalds stands with Florida.

The feud between U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds and Ron DeSantis continues to heat up, even as the Congressman calls it a “dumb story.”

During an interview on the Fox Business Network, the Southwest Florida Congressman bristled at DeSantis World claiming Donalds, a Republican, is siding with Vice President Kamala Harris’ criticisms of Florida’s Black history standards.

“This is a dumb story, and this is brought to us by the DeSantis campaign. They’re the ones who made this an issue. I’ve been very clear that the standards are robust; they are accurate. They are good,” Donalds said. “Students in Florida will learn Black history.”

“But my issue is with one sentence of the entire thing, one sentence of 200 pages,” Donalds continued. “And the DeSantis team wants to make a big issue out of it. That’s ridiculous.”

The 216-page set of guidelines includes instruction to middle school students on “how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”

DeSantis said Thursday he wasn’t “picking a fight” with Donalds, who supports DeSantis’ rival in the 2024 GOP Primary, Donald Trump. But DeSantis accused Donalds of siding with “liberals” rather than choosing to “stand up for (his) state.”

“Floridians should stand up for Florida. Don’t side with Kamala Harris and liberals who are demagoguing this,” DeSantis said.

Donalds rejects that framing Friday.

“For people who are thinking about, well, where do I stand? Do I stand with Florida? I’ve always stood with Florida. I did it when I was in the state Legislature. I stand for Florida now as a member of Congress. I’m one of the members up here fighting hard against this radical agenda from the (Joe) Biden-Harris administration,” Donalds said.

“So, my stance on where I am politically is very, very clear. But if I have an issue with one sentence, I’m allowed to have that. The fact that they made this a story is dumb in my view”

The story isn’t likely to go away. DeSantis’ super PAC identifies Donalds now as a member of the “Trump campaign” in a tweet highlighting the Governor’s position.

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has been the Northeast Florida correspondent for Florida Politics since 2014. His work also can be seen in the Washington Post, the New York Post, the Washington Times, and National Review, among other publications. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


13 comments

  • Dont Say FLA

    July 28, 2023 at 10:02 am

    Still waiting for Rhonda to name a successful blacksmith who learned the skills of their trade while enslaved.

    And no, Rhonda, the guy who was freed at age three does not count. Three years old are still working on not crapping their pants like Rhonda does over every minuscule thing

    • Julia

      July 28, 2023 at 6:07 pm

      James Page. Look him up.

      • Dont Say FLA

        July 28, 2023 at 7:32 pm

        There’s a blacksmith James Black, consider to be the maker of the Bowie knife. He was never enslaved. There’s no James Page blacksmith whatsoever. You could look him up and write something here about how folks can find your alleged person. What you’ve written here, just a name, comes up with nada. Could be that you’re a liar. Show us you’re not. Prove me wrong. I’d love to be wrong on this.

      • Dont Say FLA

        July 30, 2023 at 8:00 pm

        Been a couple days, Julia. You still working on some helpful keywords we can use to “look him up” ? Nope, ’cause he can be found only in your imagination. Man oh man, you Rhonda people sure think everybody else a bunch of moRons. While you’re correct about there being a bunch moRons, it ain’t everybody else.

      • Dont Say FLA

        July 31, 2023 at 9:57 am

        Nothing but us crickets around here. That’s because Julia and Ron DeSantis are both entirely full of shit.

  • Tubi Fair

    July 28, 2023 at 10:05 am

    To be fair to DeSantis, both Harris and Donalds are brownish people. Ron honestly cannot tell them apart. Ron does not comprehend that these two humans might have different viewpoints. To Ron, they’re just a couple of “the others” who are out to get him and his kids.

  • JD

    July 28, 2023 at 10:24 am

    “But DeSantis accused Donalds of siding with “liberals” rather than choosing to “stand up for (his) state.” ”

    How about that. Some cracks in the facade of the Florida Political Mafia’s united front.

    Good.

    It’s going to grow as the crazy keeps coming out. Keep finding those party wedge issues. There’s more of them.

    Now start to request purges of Republican voter rolls to work the other end.

  • Igary salters

    July 28, 2023 at 10:32 am

    OKAY BYRON DONALDS YOU ARE SUPPORTING A RACIST WHITE MAN FOR PRESISDENT OF THE UNITED STATES ANOTHER RACIST WHITE MAN IS DOING EVERYTHING HE CAN TO WHITE WASH HISTORY AND YOU AGREE WITHHIM ACCECPT FOR ONE LINE YOU AND HIM ARE WRONG ON THIS SO YOU BELIEVE THAT THE LATE GREAT INCONIC SUPREME COURT JUSTICE THURGOOD MARSHALL GOT IT WRONG WHEN IT COME TO HIS FIGHT ON EDUCATION WITH HIS SUPREME COURT WIN IN BROWN VS BOARD OF ENDUCATION WHICH BECAME US LAW AND IS NOE BEEN OVERTURNED BY WHITE MEN THIS IS WHAT YOU ARE SIDING WITH THE LAWS THAT HELP YOU AND CLARENCE THOMAS GET TO WHERE YOU TWO ARE AT YOU OARE A UNCLE TOM SIDING THE WITH THE WHITE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE YOU ARE A WHOLE PERSON AND DESERVE NOTHING EQUAL TO THEM YOU SUPPORT THEIR RACIST IDEALS ENOUGH SAID

  • PeterH

    July 28, 2023 at 11:06 am

    It’s really hard to find a silver lining in the white American experience of capturing black human beings in Africa and transporting them to plantations where they could be bought and sold like cattle.

    Leave it to Ron DeSantis and his deplorable Republicans to attempt a revisionist dogma with the intention of brainwashing Florida’s children. Thank god Florida has term limits and this spiteful administration will be in the rear view mirror sooner rather than later.

  • Suze

    July 28, 2023 at 11:08 am

    Says Donalds, married to a beautiful white woman…

  • BuII Conner

    July 28, 2023 at 11:36 am

    I’m happy that soon after VP Harris came out with her rant, the media, was unable to connect to her rant the SC BBQ event which was annouced a day or 2 later with Desantis as keynote speaker.
    See historically in the deep south, in order to promote law and order, we would hold special events at court ordered public executions.
    Execution was by hanging back in the day and to deter crime it was important to get the farmers and their hired help into town from the outlying area to see the criminals twitch around after being dropped from the gallows.
    The method of drawing in as many whitneses as possable was to hold a free or low cost public BBQ. Local govornment would fund all or as much as possable because getting those with evil in their hearts to watch the guilty drop down and twitch around on the gallows was a very effective crime prevention tool at the time. Often if the convicted committed a real bad crime we would also burn the body(s) too.
    The President remembers those days. I’m just glad his dementa prevented him from recalling it as those days are totally behind us now. bc

    • Dont Say FLA

      July 28, 2023 at 1:55 pm

      You think black folk were invited to “whitness” hangings of other black folk while enjoyinh free or reduced cost BBQ? And not only were they invited, you think they showed up too? Think again, Bull. “They’re hanging a black guy again today in the town square. There’s free BBQ. I am sure their blood lust will be sated by the scheduled hanging(s), so Imma pop on by and gawk at my hung cousins crapping the ground while I savor some tasty pulled pork. Mmmm mmm mm Can’t wait. Hope the boss lets me off “work” so I can go! Ah shit, I’m a slave. Boss ain’t letting me go nowhere but the field.”

  • Dogs and Fleas

    July 28, 2023 at 1:49 pm

    Dear Rep Donalds,

    You lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas.

    The more you know…. ****

Comments are closed.


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