ByronLowell Donalds is the U.S. representative for Florida’s 19th congressionaldistrict since 2021 (when he ran on being a “Trump supporting, gun owning, libertyloving, pro-life, politically incorrect Black man”), member ofthe Freedom Caucus, and a serious wingnut and conspiracytheorist. In January 2021, Donaldsvoted to deny certification of electors from Arizona andPennsylvania in the 2020 presidential election, and hehas repeatedly claimedthat Biden is not the legitimatepresident of the United States. As a staunch ally ofMoms for Liberty (his wife Erika Donalds isapparentlya central figure in the movement), Donalds has also becomesomething of a nonsensical centerpiecein wingnut bookbanning efforts.

 

Before goingto Congress, Donalds was a member of the Florida House of Representatives (from2016), where he quickly made a name for himself as a tireless champion ofwrong.As a state legislator, Donalds was for instance responsible for a series ofefforts to make it easier for creationists and climate change denialists toremove materials they don’t like from public school curricula. In 2017, heintroduced billsHB989 andHB827, whose corresponding Senate Bill,1644 (co-sponsored by e.g.DennisBaxley), wasapproved by the Senate Education Committee beforedying, both of which were carefullytailored to undermine science education. Like many wingnuts, Donalds is no fanof science, and no fan of schools teaching kids science, like climate change: “Idon’t believe in man-made climate change”. So there.

 

Diagnosis:A rising star in conspiracy-minded wingnut circles, Donalds has becomesomething of a star in the rightwing’a bookban and anti-education efforts. Andhe’s unfortunately unlikely to go away anytime soon.