Florida Republican quickly deletes boast as internet calls him out on false claim

A pro-Trump candidate for governor of Florida claimed on X that he "protected" the state from red light traffic cameras — then quietly deleted and rephrased his post after people pointed out he clearly had done no such thing.

Red light cameras monitor drivers for potential signal violations and can issue tickets automatically. They are supported by public safety advocates as studies show they significantly reduce fatal crashes at intersections — but libertarian-leaning groups and individuals have argued they are a threat to civil liberties.

GOP Rep. Byron Donalds, who is running to replace outgoing Gov. Ron DeSantis, made his initial post in response to a Wall Street Journal story about how police are increasingly using drones for traffic enforcement, including in Florida communities like Sunny Isles Beach.

"Not in my Florida!" wrote Donalds. "I protected Florida from red light cameras, and as Governor, I’ll ground these drones."

Donalds voted in favor of a 2018 bill that would have banned red light cameras throughout the state when he was serving in the legislature; however, that bill never became law.

As commenters ridiculed Donalds for his false claim, he deleted the original post and replaced it with one saying "I oppose red light cameras."

This comes as the governor's race has grown uglier in recent weeks, with Donalds, who is Black, coming under increasingly racist attacks by primary challenger and hedge fund manager James Fishback. After Fishback drew outrage when he compared Donalds' campaign fundraising to a slave auction, he claimed Donalds shouldn't be offended because his ancestors are from Belize, Panama, and Jamaica and thus weren't enslaved in America — even though all those countries had slavery as well.