Florida’s Republican gubernatorial primary has become increasingly hostile as rival James Fishback repeatedly called front-runner Byron Donalds a 'slave,' amplifying the slur on social media. Fishback’s rhetoric, which NBC News ties to allies of Gov. Ron DeSantis, draws on divisions promoted by the ADOS movement and centers on Donalds’ family origins. Donalds — one of the few Black Republicans in Congress — has faced criticism for previously downplaying racism and now faces racially charged attacks that aim to undercut his political standing.
Racist 'Slave' Slur Escalates Florida GOP Governor Primary — Byron Donalds Targeted by Rival
Florida’s Republican primary for governor has taken a bitter, racially charged turn as candidates jostle to unseat front-runner Byron Donalds, the Trump ally who has the president’s endorsement. The contest has produced repeated attacks from GOP contender James Fishback, who has publicly labeled Donalds a 'slave' in interviews and on social media.
Escalating Rhetoric and Context
NBC News and other outlets have reported ties between Fishback and allies of Gov. Ron DeSantis and highlighted a pattern of controversial statements from Fishback. In interviews and posts, Fishback has accused Donalds — one of the few Black Republicans in Congress — of being a 'slave' to corporate interests, political PACs and a pro-immigration lobby. He also insisted Donalds should not be offended because, Fishback argued, Donalds’s ancestors were not enslaved in the United States.
“Byron Donalds is a tether. He is not an American descendant of slaves. So when he cries like he has over the last couple of weeks because I call him a slave to the (American Israeli Public Affairs Committee), a slave to corporate interests, a slave to the pro-immigration lobby that has hurt every race of Americans but has also hurt Black Americans who disproportionately work in food, hospitality, leisure, and customer service. He is in no position, has no right to be complaining about me calling him a slave when he has absolutely no direct descendant of slavery in his family. He’s from Panama. He’s from Belize. His dad’s from Jamaica.”
Fishback later shared a fundraising story on social media with a caption calling Donalds a "SLAVE who was auctioned off for $31 million." Donalds’ office did not respond to a request for comment from MS NOW.
Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds speaks at the annual CPAC DC conference at the Gaylord National Resort in Oxon Hill, MD on Friday, 21, 2025. (Photo by Dominic Gwinn / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)(Dominic Gwinn / Middle East Images and AFP via Getty Images)
Why This Matters
Fishback’s language echoes arguments promoted by the so-called American Descendants of Slaves (ADOS) movement, which seeks to draw distinctions between Black Americans whose families were enslaved in the United States and more recent Black immigrant communities. Critics say this rhetoric is divisive and weaponizes genealogy to police identity for political gain.
Donalds has previously been criticized for downplaying the role of racism in U.S. history. Last year he drew backlash after portraying the Jim Crow era in nostalgic terms by saying it was a time when "the Black family was together," a characterization called out by commentators for ignoring the systemic disenfranchisement and violence that defined that period. Donalds also faced scrutiny last year for remarks that seemed to echo conservative attempts to question Vice President Kamala Harris’s racial identity during her presidential run.
The current attacks illustrate an ironic reversal: Donalds, who has at times downplayed race-based critiques of other Black politicians, is now the target of racially charged attacks meant to undermine his credibility with Republican primary voters.
Source: Original reporting first published by MS NOW; additional reporting referenced from NBC News and Florida Politics.
