Byron Donalds and the Clinton Cover Band
Playing the Same Old Clinton Tune
It is with great reluctance—and not a little amusement—that I pose a question I’ve been asking Florida Republicans the last couple of weeks: Is Byron Donalds the best Florida can do in 2026? Now, before you mistakenly assumes this is the beginning of a dialectical exercise in which both “yes” and “no” are afforded equal merit, let me assure you that it’s not. The answer is an emphatic, resounding, not-if-Florida-has-any-self-respect NO.
Florida Republicans, as they scan the horizon for their next governor, should ask themselves this simple question. The No answer should be on every honest Republican’s mind unless, of course, the Florida GOP would like to elevate its very own Clintonesque power couple—complete with shady land deals, school board manipulation, and allegations of outright abuse of power—to the top of the ticket. What has Donalds done to deserve such ignominy? Quite a bit, as it turns out. A man with such naked ambition should at least be better at covering his tracks. Instead, we find his record littered with land grabs, bullying tactics, and a history of making enemies out of former allies. If the party get’s behind Byron Donalds they’ll simply be watching him drag the party down like a cinder block in a swamp.
One hesitates to use the term “Clintonian” in polite company, but alas, when confronted with a politician whose career seems to be composed of land deals, school board skulduggery, and a curiously enthusiastic penchant for alienating former allies, it is difficult to avoid. Indeed, one could argue that Donalds lacks only a saxophone and a taxpayer-funded law firm to achieve full Clintonian apotheosis. The Clintons perfected the art of burning bridges in the Democratic Party, but at least they had the political skill to keep their enemies just close enough to tolerate them. Donalds, however, lacks both the charm and the caution, leaving a trail of wreckage that should make any astute Florida Republican reconsider their support.
Should Florida Republicans wish to crown this Floridian iteration of the Clinton model—this less-polished, less-skilled facsimile of an already repellent archetype—then by all means, but they should prepare for another round of endless explanations, furious defenses, and campaign trail indignation. Along with questionable connections to certain individuals. But, if the goal is to continue the state’s extraordinary run of competent, effective conservative governance, then Byron Donalds is a liability of the first order, and the primary must serve as his political reckoning.
The Mason Classical Academy Debacle: A Study in Petty Power Plays
Byron Donalds, ever the champion of opportunity (a word that here apparently denotes the ability to seize land, disrupt schools, and wield bureaucratic clout for personal benefit), once sang the praises of Mason Classical Academy (MCA), a charter school whose success he and his wife Erika were eager to associate with—until it no longer suited them.
What followed was an act of political spite so egregiously petty that you almost admire its sheer gall. Not content to simply walk away from MCA, the Donalds duo allegedly set about hampering its expansion. And how did they achieve this? Allegedly by purchasing land near the school, then using zoning maneuvers and promoting public outrage to obstruct further development. This isn’t, let me be clear, the behavior of a man fighting for Florida’s children. It’s, rather, the conduct of a political operator for whom power and personal grievance outweigh the interests of students, parents, and the broader community.
But the story doesn’t end there. The pièce de résistance of this sordid affair is the new claim that wetlands designation is being weaponized to impede MCA’s future growth, with the Army Corps of Engineers suddenly being forced to take a rather keen interest in the matter. Now, I don’t mean to suggest that Byron Donalds personally commanded the Army Corps like some Gulf Coast Napoleon, but that the calling in of the Corp is a political stalling tactic and manipulation he would be capable of, limited as his capabilities normally are. You have to marvel at the sheer serendipity of the whole thing managed to occur as a coincidence. Though coincidences of this magnitude are rather less than common. Land grabs, abuse of zoning laws, and bureaucratic interference—if this were Arkansas in the 1990s, we’d have another Clinton scandal on our hands.
The Trust Factor: Why DeSantis Succeeded Where Donalds Sows Chaos
Contrast this with Ron DeSantis, a man who is widely respected by virtually everyone who has worked with him. DeSantis has disagreements, sure, but he’s not a man surrounded by swirling controversies of land deals, school