MS NOW host Symone Sanders Townsend remarked that Florida Gov.-elect Byron Donalds' historic victory, making him the state's first Black governor, did not necessarily signify he was true "kinfolk" to other Black Americans. Townsend suggested Donalds would continue the political agenda of outgoing Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
"I will say, though, you know, as they say in my community, all kinfolk ain’t skinfolk," Townsend said, appearing to misstate the common idiom. "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."
Tim Graham, director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of NewsBusters, criticized Townsend's remarks. "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 stated in a message to Fox News Digital. "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."
Graham drew a comparison between Townsend's comments and the treatment of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas during his 1991 confirmation hearings, where Thomas described the proceedings as a "high-tech lynching." Graham contended that the underlying message from Townsend demanded political conformity from Black Americans.
Donalds secured a narrow victory over Democrat David Jolly in the race to succeed DeSantis, who was term-limited. His win represented a rare gain for Republicans on an election night where Democrats achieved broader successes nationwide. Townsend had acknowledged the significance of Donalds' election before pivoting to his policy positions and drawing parallels to DeSantis' platform.
Donalds has previously addressed racially charged criticism. In 2025, he pushed back against Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, after she commented on his marriage to a White woman. Speaking on "The Joe Pags Show," Donalds stated, "Here’s what I’m going to say first and foremost: don’t talk about my wife. Keep my wife out of this. It ain’t got nothing to do with her."
Fox News Digital reached out to Donalds for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.