Florida Voters Reject Trump’s Influence By Choosing His Candidate

Florida voters delivered a decisive rebuke to political endorsements Tuesday by nominating Byron Donalds, the Republican front-runner endorsed by President Donald Trump. The grassroots uprising unfolded precisely where every poll, donor, consultant and party official had placed it, demonstrating that ordinary citizens can still defy the establishment by following its instructions without modification. Donalds will face Democratic nominee David Jolly in November for the privilege of replacing term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The result opened a bold new chapter in Florida Republican politics, in which voters refuse to be controlled by powerful personalities unless those personalities personally identify the correct candidate in advance. “Byron did this entirely without me, except for my endorsement, my movement, my voters and everybody knowing that he was the one I wanted,” Trump said. “It was a completely independent victory that I personally created while having no influence whatsoever.” Party officials praised the electorate for thinking for itself with exceptional accuracy.

Donalds further established his independence by limiting references to Trump during his victory speech, courageously separating himself from the endorsement moments after it had completed its assigned function. Advisers said the omission proved Donalds could govern without presidential supervision, although they added that any future independent decisions would first be reviewed at Mar-a-Lago for signs of unauthorized independence.

Jolly, meanwhile, is expected to threaten the democratic process by giving voters a second option. His irresponsible appearance on the general-election ballot could force Floridians to compare policies, records and governing philosophies rather than accept the candidate delivered through presidential recommendation. Fortunately, Donalds’ nomination ensures Tallahassee may soon receive fresh leadership from Washington, approved in Palm Beach and indistinguishable from the establishment it replaces. Florida’s Republican electorate is therefore fully independent, provided Donald Trump tells it whom to choose.

* None of the quotes in this article were spoken by an actual person. More info.