Congressman and Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds (R-FL) ridiculed the idea of a Democrat "rebrand" heading into the November 2026 midterms during an interview on Fox News this week.
"I have no idea what they're going to do, because everything that the Democrats stand for is what the American people have soundly rejected," Donalds said. "They stand for rampant illegal immigration. They stand for criminal illegals coming into our country. They stand for the drug cartels helping control of our southern borders."
Rep. Donalds, who is running for Florida governor, also slammed Democrats for higher inflation under former President Joe Biden. In particular, Republicans often criticized the party for the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which they argue only exacerbated inflation by increasing spending.
"They stood for the inflation that crippled so many American families," Donalds continued. "That was Democrats that voted for Joe Biden's economic plan, which led to higher inflation for the American people, a stagnant economy - wages adjusted for inflation were down, and they're going to rebrand themselves?"
In addition, Donalds piled on with more problems going on within the Democratic Party, including allowing men in women's sports. Transgender issues became a talking point in Republican circles during the 2024 presidential election and beyond, with most Americans in several polls rejecting the idea of allowing boys in girls' athletics.
"That's what they stand for. Those are the policies they want to go back to," Donalds accused.
He even wondered if the party would become more "crazy" and follow in the footsteps of some recently elected Democratic officials, like New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. He mentioned New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who has been rumored as a potential 2028 presidential candidate.
"I don't think that's going to work for the American people. They want a sound economy. They want prices to be stable and to lower. They want more money in their pocket. They really want to thrive," Donalds said. They want the American dream. Democrats don't stand for that."
