Called Trump a 'Distraction Who Cares More About Himself Than the Country' — Now His Biggest Cheerleader
What Byron said then
“Trump is a huge distraction, and cares more about himself than the country in my opinion, but I could care less about him. Trump won't run. Thank God!”
2011–2012
What he says now
“President Trump is Making America Great Again. I'm committed to working with him to Keep Florida Great.”
2020–2025
Context
In 2011 and 2012, Donalds was an outspoken Tea Party activist who repeatedly attacked Trump on social media. He called Trump 'a huge distraction' who 'cares more about himself than the country,' celebrated when Trump didn't run for president, and slammed Trump's birtherism claims about Obama as divisive. By 2020, when it became politically advantageous, Donalds had become one of Trump's most visible Black surrogates — eventually landing on Trump's VP shortlist and campaigning for him across the country. CNN's KFile uncovered the old posts in March 2024.
The bottom line
A decade of publicly calling Trump self-serving and distracting—erased the moment Trump became useful to his own career