BS BULLETIN:

• Florida GOP gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds revamped his campaign website and removed numerous prominent references to President Donald Trump.
• Gone from the homepage are “Trump-endorsed” branding, a photo with Trump and a fundraising pitch built around Trump’s backing.
• Donalds says he’s still “proud” of Trump’s endorsement and says the revamped website is focused on affordability and other Florida issues.

For much of Byron Donalds’ campaign for Florida governor, there was little mystery about whose endorsement he wanted voters to notice.

Donald Trump was everywhere.

Not anymore.

Donalds’ campaign has rolled out a revamped website that strips away numerous prominent references to the president, including the “Trump-endorsed” branding that had been a centerpiece of the site.

According to the Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald, website tracking service Visualping identified at least eight Trump references removed from the homepage.

The old version greeted visitors with “TRUMP-ENDORSED Proven Conservative Fighter. BYRON DONALDS.”

There was a “Chip in to Support Trump Endorsed Byron Donalds” fundraising button, a banner announcing “ENDORSED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP!” and Trump’s 2025 “RUN, BYRON, RUN!” endorsement.

A photograph of Donalds and his wife, Erika, posing with Trump has also disappeared from the homepage.

And it wasn’t just cosmetic.

Donalds’ issues page previously listed “Enact the Trump Agenda” as his first priority.

That’s gone too.

“Affordability” now occupies the top spot, while immigration — previously a standalone priority — is addressed under the broader “Law and Order” section.

Trump hasn’t vanished completely.

His endorsement remains on Donalds’ endorsements page, and the president is still referenced elsewhere on the website. The current endorsements page explicitly says Donalds is backed by “President Trump and Governor DeSantis,” among others.

Donalds also responded to the attention Tuesday by posting an image of the endorsement page.

“I am proud to have President Trump’s endorsement,” Donalds said.

“While everyone is focused on our website, check out our policy proposals to make life more affordable for Floridians.”

Campaign spokesman Gates McGavick offered a similar explanation.

“Our campaign website reflects Byron’s focus on the issues that matter most to Floridians — affordability, insurance costs and government transparency,” McGavick said, adding that Donalds remains proud of Trump’s endorsement.

The timing guarantees the changes will receive political attention.

Donalds is running against Democrat David Jolly in November to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis. A St. Pete Polls survey conducted Sept. 15-17 among 913 likely Florida voters found Donalds at 44% and Jolly at 43%, a difference within the poll’s 3.2-point margin of error.

Jolly’s campaign argues the website overhaul represents an effort by Donalds to distance himself from Trump. Donalds’ campaign disputes that interpretation and says the redesign reflects a greater focus on Florida-specific policy issues.

Whatever the motivation, the before-and-after comparison is striking.

The Trump endorsement that once dominated Donalds’ homepage is now one endorsement among many.

MY QUICK TAKE

Campaign websites change. Candidates shift emphasis. And Donalds plainly isn’t disavowing Trump — he went out of his way Tuesday to say he’s still proud of the endorsement.

But somebody made a very deliberate decision about what Florida voters should see first.

Yesterday: Trump.

Today: Affordability.

DBS WIRE SOURCES

• Mediaite — Byron Donalds removes prominent Trump references from campaign website
• Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald — Donalds pulls prominent Trump mentions from campaign website
• ABC News — Donalds downplays Trump connection on governor campaign website
• Byron Donalds for Governor — Endorsements