Florida U.S. Congressman Byron Donalds, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump to serve as Florida’s next governor, is calling on the University of Florida to restart the search for its next president.
Donalds’ comments came May 7 in a Fox Business interview over a resurfaced March 2023 video of University of Michigan President Dr. Santa Ono — the only finalist to serve as UF’s 14th president — in which he discussed the success of the school’s DEI program and called racism one of America’s original sins.
U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-FL, speaks following U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025.
Donalds, R-Naples, said during the interview that the University of Florida’s search committee needs to go back to the drawing board after selecting a president that praises DEI initiatives.
“We have been clear about DEI not being a pillar of our educational systems in Florida,” Donalds said. “It does not comport with the values of the state of Florida.”
Donalds also addressed UF’s selection of Ono on X.
“Florida cannot afford to inject wokeness into our flagship university. This selection must be blocked and the search committee must start over.”
Ono, however, said in his first appearance on UF’s campus on May 6 that he closed the University of Michigan’s DEI office in March because he felt the investment was going toward the bureaucracy of the office, not the students.
The decision to close the office was made after Trump signed an executive order targeting DEI programs.
“Some of the things I hear is not everyone is included in the support that’s provided,” Ono said at UF. “To me, it’s an American thing to support all students as opposed to just some of the students. It was my decision, but it was based on data and evidence, and this reallocation of funds allows more students to be given more opportunities.”
Santa Ono, current present of the University of Michigan and the sole finalist for the same position at the University of Florida, talks during forum on May 6, 2025, at Emerson Alumni Hall in Gainesville.
More: UF president finalist Ono talks DEI, experimental learning in meetings with students, faculty
Ono added that his position on eliminating the DEI office aligns with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration, state government and the university.
The University of Florida announced on May 4 that Ono was the sole finalist to become the university’s president.
“Dr. Ono’s proven record of academic excellence, innovation and collaborative leadership at world-class institutions made him our unanimous choice. We are confident he is the right person to build on UF’s strong foundation and help realize our bold vision for the future,” said Rahul Patel, chair of UF’s Presidential Search Committee and a member of board of trustees
UF declined to comment on Donalds’ remarks.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Trump endorsed candidate in Florida calls out UF president finalist
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