Will Republicans gain any votes by relying on culture wars such as men in women’s sports or other social issues? On the Florida Daily show, host Ed Dead and Lindsay Randall discuss the strategy with New South Politics editor Matt O’Hern.
Rep. Byron Donalds’ campaign for Florida governor is facing growing questions over whether his close alignment with President Donald Trump could become a liability as voters increasingly focus on affordability, tariffs and the cost of living.
During a recent episode of The Florida Daily Show, hosts Ed Dean, Matt O’Hern and Lindsay Randall discussed Donalds’ appearance on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, where the Republican congressman defended the Trump administration’s tariff policies while being pressed about rising costs.
Donalds, who has Trump’s endorsement in the governor’s race, argued that tariffs are part of an effort to renegotiate trade agreements that have not benefited the United States.
“Tariff policy, let’s be very clear, is about renegotiating certain trade policies and trade deals that have not worked in the interest of the United States for a long, long time,” Donalds said during the Maher appearance.
The exchange prompted debate among the Florida Daily panel over whether Donalds should create more distance between himself and Trump on economic policy.
Dean argued that Donalds could benefit politically by identifying areas where he disagrees with the president, particularly because Trump has already endorsed him.
“If I’m Byron Donalds, I come out and say this is where I differ with President Trump,” Dean said, adding that he could not currently identify a major policy area where Donalds has publicly broken with Trump.
Randall suggested another approach: avoid making Trump a central part of the campaign altogether and instead focus almost exclusively on Florida-specific issues such as affordability and the economy.
“I would just run, ‘Hey, I’m running in the state of Florida — Florida, Florida, Florida,’” Randall said. “I would not even talk about the president right now.”
The discussion centered heavily on tariffs, which have become a growing political issue as Republicans and Democrats debate their impact on manufacturing, consumer prices and the broader economy.
During Donalds’ appearance with Maher, liberal commentator Molly Jong-Fast questioned whether tariffs had accomplished their stated goal of bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States.
“I thought tariffs were onshoring manufacturing. I thought the goal was to bring jobs back to America,” Jong-Fast said, arguing that consumers instead have faced higher prices.
The Florida Daily panel agreed that affordability could become one of the dominant issues of the 2026 election cycle.
Dean, a former economics reporter, described tariffs as a tax and said Republicans would be better served emphasizing policies such as tax cuts rather than higher import costs.
Randall also argued that economic concerns have eclipsed many of the social issues that dominated Republican campaigns in recent elections.
She pointed to grocery bills, gasoline prices, credit card interest rates and household expenses as issues that are more immediate for many voters.
“No one freaking gives a crap because they’re worried about paying their bills,” Randall said, referring to the political focus on cultural issues. She argued that voters are increasingly concerned about putting groceries on credit cards and dealing with high interest rates.
O’Hern similarly argued that voters who may hold conservative positions on social issues could still place economic concerns first.
“I don’t want men competing in girls sports,” O’Hern said. “But you know what? I also don’t want to have to struggle to support my family.”
He argued that a strong economy should itself be considered a family-values issue because financial stability can help families remain secure.
The panel also discussed a recent Fox News debate involving conservative commentator Clay Travis, during which a Democratic guest repeatedly challenged Republicans to explain their plans for addressing affordability, housing costs and the job market.
Dean argued that repeatedly pivoting toward transgender sports or other cultural issues could leave Republican candidates vulnerable if they cannot provide clear answers on the economy.
“Tacking to the social issues right now is not the way to win back any independents,” Randall said.
The panel warned that independent voters could be especially important in competitive Florida races.
Dean said Donalds may need strong Republican turnout in North Florida while also improving his appeal among independents, particularly if voters perceive him as too closely tied to Trump on tariffs, data centers or other controversial issues.
“He doesn’t have to throw the president under the bus,” Dean said. “I’m just telling you, it sells to be a little bit more independent.”
Randall argued that Donalds currently comes across as closely aligned with major business interests and suggested that his support for data center development could create political problems with voters skeptical of rapid expansion.
“In an election, perception is reality,” she said.
The conversation later broadened into a discussion of Democratic strategy, with the panel arguing that Democrats could also squander political opportunities by focusing too heavily on labels such as “socialist,” “communist” or “white nationalist” rather than economic policy.
The panel cited comments from former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, who recently warned Republicans that simply labeling Democratic candidates as Marxists or communists may not work with younger voters struggling with affordability.
Bannon argued that Republicans instead need to explain why progressive economic proposals would fail and offer their own solutions to rising costs.
The hosts also criticized Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., after she accused Republicans of embracing white nationalists, arguing that both parties have increasingly relied on political name-calling instead of policy debates.
“Can we actually talk about issues?” Randall asked. “Can someone actually put together a policy that actually does something good and moves the ball forward?”
Looking ahead to the midterm elections, the panel also discussed what could happen if Democrats win control of Congress.
Potential congressional investigations involving Trump, the administration, tariffs, foreign policy and the Epstein files were among the possibilities discussed.
O’Hern said the Epstein files could become one of the first major areas of investigation if Democrats gain control, particularly because some Republicans have also called for greater disclosure.
“Voters have every right, whether they’re Republican, Democrat or independent, to say, ‘No, we’re going to call your BS on that,’” O’Hern said while discussing transparency surrounding the files.
Despite their disagreements over individual candidates and policies, the panel repeatedly returned to the same broader theme: candidates in both parties may have difficulty winning swing voters if they rely primarily on partisan attacks rather than explaining how they would lower costs and improve the economy.
For Donalds, that could mean deciding how closely to embrace Trump while also developing a distinct Florida-focused message as the governor’s race moves closer to Election Day.
