President Donald Trump has endorsed Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., for governor of Florida, should the congressman decide to run. Trump's support comes as a recent poll shows Donalds leading in a hypothetical GOP primary, The Hill reported.
"Byron Donalds would be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida and, should he decide to run, will have my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, BYRON, RUN!" Trump said Thursday in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Trump's endorsement follows the release of an internal poll showing Donalds as the leading candidate in a hypothetical race for governor.
According to the poll, Donalds received 31 percent of the vote, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez received 4 percent, and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson received 3 percent.
Donalds has reportedly informed multiple Republican donors in Florida that he intends to enter the race, although he has yet to make a formal announcement.
Trump emphasized his confidence in Donalds, stating that as governor, he "would have a BIG Voice, and would work closely with me to advance our America First Agenda."
The president added that Donalds would "fight tirelessly to Secure our Border, Stop Migrant Crime, Strengthen our Military, Protect our Vets, Restore our Economic Power, Advance American Energy DOMINANCE, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment."
Donalds has been a strong ally of Trump, backing him over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in last year's Republican presidential primary.
The Florida congressman has spoken favorably of Trump's return to the White House, expressing optimism about the administration's potential impact on key issues.
"When Americans see deportations or repatriations happen, they're gonna be like, 'Thank you,'" Donalds told Fox News last month. "When they see the border closed, they're gonna say, 'This is what I voted for.' When they see peace starting to break out again around the world, they're gonna be like, 'This is the stability that we were asking for.'"
Donalds punctuated his remarks by declaring, "Daddy's back."