MAGA gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds of Florida sparked an internet firestorm on Sunday after he made a wild claim about the ongoing measles outbreak.
Donalds joined CBS News's Margaret Brennan on "Face the Nation" on Sunday, where he was asked about Florida falling below the herd immunity rate for measles. But Donalds' attempt to explain the trend outraged several commentators online.
"Is your message to Florida parents, 'Get your kids vaccinated against [measles]?" Brennan asked.
"No," Donalds shot back. "My message is the reason we have seen a measles outbreak is because of rampant illegal immigration."
Those comments caused an eruption online.
"This is idiotic. That's not why there are outbreaks. The data shows that it's not immigration," Dr. Pradheep Shankar, a radiologist, posted on X.
"What an awful, awful human," Nick Field, a political journalist, posted on X.
"That’s so silly. Everyone knows it’s because of the space lasers," Aviel Roshwald, a history professor, posted on Bluesky.
"The anti-indoctrination party really loves indoctrinating their voters," Michael Coon, a migration economist at the University of Tampa, posted on Bluesky.
"That is a lie. All medical professionals have stated that it is because of the decline of childhood vaccination rates," Leslie Marshall, a Democratic strategist, posted on X.
Brennan: "Nearly all of Florida is below the 95% immunization rate for herd immunity for measles. So, is your message to Florida parents to get your kids vaccinated?"
Byron Donalds: "No. My message is the reason we have seen a measles outbreak is because of rampant illegal… pic.twitter.com/Q1lVsTvkwP
— BulwarkClips (@BulwarkClips) August 23, 2026