As Republican Representative Byron campaigns for a second term in the state legislature, he's been taken aback by a comment not from his opponent, but rather from someone on his Facebook page.
"Highly offensive” said the Collier County politician.
On Monday someone posted “Look at Representative Donalds, passing out BS literature for half-monkey DeSantis, say the truth Donalds, is DeSantis paying you in bananas?”
The comment was in reference to Donalds campaigning for fellow Republican Ron DeSantis who's running for governor.
DeSantis himself has been accused of racism after he said Floridians shouldn't "monkey" up Florida's economy by voting for his opponent Andrew Gillum.
Donalds says the poster's bananas comment about him was over the line.
“Our politics can divisive at times, and we can have strong disagreements, but to go to that length, where you are being blatantly racist is unacceptable."
Donalds was so disgusted the post, he screen shot the comment and Tweeted it out to his followers.
“At that point, I had enough, let me show the world, and the people who follow me some of the vile and vitriolic things that are thrown my way."
Donalds' opponent in the general election, Democrat Jennifer Boddicker condemned the comments. She says the same person who posted them, also trolled her on Facebook.
“I feel bad for Byron and his family that they had to deal with something like that,” she said.
Donalds says he welcomes criticism about policies and wants to hear from people disagree with him on the issues.
But he says he has a problem with people taking personal shots at him from behind a keyboard.
“If you have a problem with something I do, or what I believe in, feel free to talk to me at any time, but if you are going to be that vile, i prefer you say it to my face.”
Donalds also says he thinks racist comments directed at African-American Republicans are not taken as serious as racist comments directed at African-American Democrats.
