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Byron Donalds rejects Bill Maher's racism claim, says Florida is a meritocracy
ReByron Donalds rejects Bill Maher's racism claim, says Florida is a meritocracy
Florida gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds pushed back on HBO host Bill Maher's suggestion that his primary losses in rural Panhandle counties stemmed from racism, insisting the state rewards the best candidates regardless of skin color.
Florida gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds rejected comedian Bill Maher's claim that his primary losses in rural counties were partly due to racism, insisting during an HBO appearance that Florida operates as a meritocracy where voters choose the best candidate regardless of background.
On Friday's episode of «Real Time with Bill Maher,» the host pressed Donalds on his performance in the state's Panhandle region, which Maher called the «Redneck Riviera.» Maher pointed to Donalds' losses in 17 rural counties — including Calhoun, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hardee, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, and Washington — where roughly 94% of Republican voters are White.
«I think there are people there who still would not — you're a Republican, you're a Trumper — they should love you and they don't. I think there is still racism,» Maher said.
Donalds pushed back directly. «Let's talk a little bit about the Panhandle,» he replied. «There are counties we did incredibly well in that we won. There were some counties that we fell a little short in, that's okay.»
The Republican nominee noted that the primary ballot featured 11 candidates with «various lines of support,» which split the vote. «The number one thing overall, we closed out 48% of the vote in Florida,» Donalds said. «800,000 votes [is] a long way to becoming the nominee.»
Donalds then rejected the broader suggestion that racial bias shaped the outcome. «Florida really has become the microcosm of what we all want,» he said. «It's a meritocracy. And it's about the best person with the best views, the best skills, the best talent moving forward to represent your state or to represent a district in your state, and Florida exemplifies that.»
Maher, who praised Donalds for running in what he called «this post-racial world,» acknowledged he hoped the country could see its first Black Republican governor but added that «we're not quite there yet though.»
Former Florida state Sen. Dave Aronberg offered a more cautious read of the primary results. «When you look at the primary numbers, Byron Donalds falling short of 50% does raise some legitimate questions,» Aronberg told Fox News Digital. «Yes, there were 11 names on the ballot, but few of his opponents were viable contenders, and Donalds had a massive fundraising and name recognition advantage compared to the rest of the field. It wasn't exactly a neck-and-neck dogfight.»
Aronberg added, «When you see him underperforming in certain rural pockets, it's hard to completely dismiss race having played at least some quiet role.» He also cautioned that while Republicans hold a major registration and financial edge heading into November, «this will be no cakewalk based on what we saw in the primary, along with President Trump's lagging poll numbers and the quality of his Democratic opponent.»
The conversation later shifted to President Donald Trump's tariffs, which Maher argued are hurting affordability in Florida. He cited a Wall Street Journal editorial calling the trade dispute with Canada the «dumbest trade war» and asked whether Donalds was facing pressure on the campaign trail over inflation.
Donalds acknowledged that Floridians are focused on their pocketbooks «like anywhere else,» but defended the president's approach. «I would rather have a chief executive that looks at these deals and engages these other countries and fights for Americans, [rather] than just lets them roll knowing that they're not gonna be in the interest of small businesses,» he said.
