Rep. Byron Donalds, the Republican nominee for Florida governor, posted a clip on X criticizing Democratic rival David Jolly for saying he would campaign with Kamala Harris and that she should have beaten President Trump. According to the post, Harris lost Florida by more than 1.4 million votes in 2024. Online users reacted after the exchange, with many commenters shifting away from Jolly’s remarks and questioning Donalds over a debate, prices, and other campaign issues.
The footage is a short excerpt from Democratic nominee David Jolly’s appearance on CBS Miami’s “Facing South Florida” with Jim DeFede. The video shows Jolly and DeFede seated in the studio when the host asks whether Jolly would want Harris to campaign with him. In the clip, Jolly replies, “I would welcome anybody in today’s Democratic Party,” and adds, “I think that Kamala Harris should have beaten Donald Trump.”
A longer cut of the same exchange, circulated separately, also includes Jolly saying, “I think we got it wrong in the last election, and I’d welcome anybody to come campaign with me.” The posted excerpt does not show the rest of the interview or any campaign event.
Donalds wrote that Harris “lost Florida by over 1.4 million votes” and that “Floridians already gave their answer,” adding, “Take your crazy policies somewhere else.” Florida’s Voice reported the same interview remarks and quoted Donalds campaign spokesman Gates McGavick saying the campaign looked forward to seeing Harris “on the campaign trail with David Jolly.” The 1.4 million-vote figure was stated in Donalds’ post and has not been independently confirmed in the clip itself.
Florida Splits Over Jolly, Harris, and the Clip
Some users sided with Donalds and treated Jolly’s Harris comments as a liability. One wrote, “David Jolly and Kamala Harris are two losers,” and said Donalds “will be our next FL governor.”
Another called Jolly “delusional,” saying Florida “is a very red state.” A third added, “Florida needs Governor Byron Donalds.”
A second group focused on Donalds rather than Jolly, questioning whether the Harris clip answered their concerns. One commenter asked, “When is the debate, Byron?” Another said, “Florida can do soooooo much better.”
Others used the thread to argue the race should turn on prices and alternatives. One wrote that, given those complaints, “looks like Jolly was right.”
Another said it “might be time for Floridians to start exploring other options for Governor.”
For now, the exchange has become another point of contrast in Florida’s governor’s race. Online discussion remains split between those who see Jolly’s Harris remarks as a political liability and those who say Donalds still has to answer questions about a debate and kitchen-table issues.
