Florida Lt Gov Jay Collins appears to take shots at Trump-backed gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds
In the dynamic landscape of Florida politics, Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins is emerging as a potential challenger to U.S. Representative Byron Donalds, who has garnered the endorsement of former President Donald Trump in the upcoming gubernatorial race. Collins, who was appointed to his role by Governor Ron DeSantis earlier this year, has recently made headlines with pointed remarks that seem to critique Donalds’ candidacy. In a notable retweet on social media platform X, Collins juxtaposed the two politicians with the phrases “Tough as Nails” and “Soft as Soy,” signaling a stark contrast in their political personas. His message, “Hard times → Strong men. Strong men → Good times. Good times → Weak men. Weak men → Hard times,” suggests that he believes effective leadership is essential during challenging times, positioning himself as the more resilient candidate.
Collins has not shied away from expressing his views directly. In a recent post, he asserted that merely having Trump’s endorsement without a substantial track record is insufficient for a gubernatorial bid, stating, “Traveling around the state with ZERO record and nothing but an endorsement to brag about is not good enough.” He emphasized his own accomplishments, insisting that “Florida deserves better and I’ve delivered.” This rhetoric indicates Collins’ strategy to appeal to voters by highlighting his experience and commitment to the state, contrasting it with Donalds’ reliance on high-profile endorsements from figures like Trump, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, and entrepreneur Elon Musk, who has also pledged his full support for Donalds.
When asked directly about his potential gubernatorial run in an interview with CBS News Miami, Collins hinted at an imminent announcement, saying, “we are just finalizin’ that plan.” His forthcoming decision is highly anticipated, especially as he positions himself as a formidable contender in what could become a heated primary battle against Donalds. As Florida prepares for the upcoming election, the rivalry between these two Republican figures is expected to intensify, making the gubernatorial race one to watch closely in the coming months.
Florida
Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, who could potentially mount a gubernatorial bid in the Sunshine State, appears to be taking jabs at U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, the candidate President Donald Trump has endorsed for governor.
Collins — who Florida Gov.
Ron DeSantis
tapped for the lieutenant governor role earlier this year — retweeted a post on X that appeared to juxtapose him and Donalds with the phrases “Tough as Nails” and “Soft as Soy.”
“Hard times → Strong men,” Collins
wrote
when retweeting the post. “Strong men → Good times,” he continued. “Good times → Weak men,” he added. “Weak men → Hard times.”
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“Traveling around the state with ZERO record and nothing but an endorsement to brag about is not good enough,” Collins declared in part of another
post
, in which he later asserted, “Florida deserves better and I’ve delivered.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Donalds’ campaign for comment.
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While interviewing Collins, CBS News Miami’s Jim Defede
asked
the politician point blank, “Are you running for governor?”
Collins replied by saying, “we are just finalizin’ that plan.” He later said “we’ll put out our final decision here shortly. But we are really close to makin’ that … final call.”
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In addition to
President Trump’s
backing, Donalds has also been endorsed by GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas.
Business tycoon Elon Musk has also
declared
that Donalds has his “full support.”
