MS NOW host claims Byron Donalds isn’t true ‘kinfolk’ after historic Florida gubernatorial win
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Donalds → claim → win
By
CJ Womack, Fox News
Published Nov. 4, 2026, 8:06 p.m. ET
MS NOW host Symone Sanders Townsend suggested Tuesday that Florida Republican Byron Donalds wasn’t true “kinfolk” with other Black Americans after acknowledging his historic victory in the state’s race for governor.
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Donalds → publish → governor
Sanders Townsend questioned the political significance of Donalds’ victory, saying he would continue Gov. Ron DeSantis’ agenda.
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he → question → agenda
“I will say, though, you know, as they say in my community, all kinfolk ain’t skinfolk,” Sanders Townsend said, although she appeared to mean it the other way around.
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she → say → it
“And what I say and what I mean by that is Byron Donalds is making history, but he is going to continue the political direction that Ron DeSantis is going to continue in Florida.”
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DeSantis → say → Florida
Tim Graham, Media Research Center director of media analysis and executive editor of NewsBusters, criticized the remarks in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying Sanders Townsend was suggesting Black conservatives’ political beliefs conflicted with their racial identity.
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beliefs → criticize → identity
“Symone Sanders is trying to argue that Blackness and conservatism are polar opposites or that being a Black conservative is being a traitor to your race,” Graham said.
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Graham → try → race
“She suggests that Gov. Ron DeSantis has been anti-Black in his policies, and so Donalds is going to continue this allegedly anti-Black agenda.”
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Donalds → suggest → agenda
Graham compared the criticism to Democrats’ treatment of Clarence Thomas during his difficult 1991 Supreme Court confirmation hearings, when Thomas described the proceedings as a “high-tech lynching.”
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Thomas → compare → lynching
Graham said the underlying message demanded political conformity from Black Americans.
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message → say → Americans
Sanders Townsend’s comments followed Donalds’ narrow victory over Democrat David Jolly in the state.
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comments → follow → state
Donalds will succeed term-limited DeSantis in a rare bright spot for Republicans Tuesday, after Democrats swept into power across the rest of the country.
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Democrats → succeed → country
Sanders Townsend explicitly acknowledged the significance of Donalds’ election before turning to his policies and comparing his agenda to the outgoing governor’s.
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Townsend → acknowledge → governor
It is the first time Florida has elected a Black governor,” Sanders Townsend said.
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Townsend → elect → governor
“And, so, he was on ‘The Breakfast Club’ this morning, was being asked about all kinds of policies and whatnot.
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he → ask → policies
And he, you know, sounded similar to Ron DeSantis.”
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you → know → DeSantis
Donalds previously pushed back against Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, after she criticized his marriage to a White woman in remarks that resurfaced in 2025.
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that → push → 2025
Speaking on “The Joe Pags Show,” Donalds said his wife should be left out of their political dispute.
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wife → speak → dispute
“Here’s what I’m going to say, first and foremost: Don’t talk about my wife.
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I → ’ → wife
It ain’t got nothing to do with her,” Donalds said.
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Donalds → get → her
Fox News Digital reached out to Donalds for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
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Digital → reach → response
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