EXCLUSIVE: Erika Donalds Backs Trump Move To Reopen American Universities To Chinese Students

With Republican Florida Rep. Byron Donalds officially entering the 2026 Florida gubernatorial race — backed by former President Donald Trump — his wife Erika Donalds is emerging as a key voice on education policy and public service.

Donalds, Chair of the America First Policy Institute’s (AFPI) Center for Education Opportunity and a seasoned entrepreneur, has long worked to expand high-quality school choice options and improve accountability and governance in American schools.

Donalds offered insight into the personal motivations and private conversations that led their family to pursue a new chapter of public service, with her husband running to succeed Governor Ron DeSantis.

“Well, Florida has been so good to us. Byron and I met at Florida State University. We were both completely broke at the time, but both of us used education to springboard us to the American dream and a pathway to success,” she said during an exclusive interview with the Daily Caller at Turning Point USA’s Young Women’s Leadership Summit.

“We’ve raised an incredible family in Florida. We’ve had great careers. We’ve been able to make a difference in public service here, and we have an incredible community where we’ve lived our entire adult lives,” Donalds continued.

She also provided insight on the outlook they hope to help the state achieve.

“We want other Floridians — and those who come here in the future — to have the same opportunities that we’ve had ourselves and our children,” Donalds explained. “We believe that with Byron as governor, we can not only advance the great policies that have already been in place but get the state ready for the future.”

She added that their priorities include further diversifying the state’s economy and expanding educational freedom and innovation.

“We have work to do on our academic achievement and performance, so I’d like to see a focus on that,” she said.

She shared how Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” aims to restore order and accountability to the student loan system.

“The provisions in the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ related to higher education are so critical — especially the risk-sharing measures that put accountability back on colleges and universities that have pushed students into these worthless degrees, particularly DEI-related and race-related programs that are divisive,” Donalds said.

What a privilege to speak at @TPUSA’s Young Women’s Leadership Summit! 🇺🇸

I told the next generation of bold, conservative women:
🛡️ The fight for faith, family & education freedom is ours to win.
🔥 You are not too young or too late.
📖 “God has placed you here for a purpose.”… pic.twitter.com/VziRs8H4sB

— Erika Donalds (@ErikaDonalds) June 16, 2025

“Not only are they culturally divisive, but they also fail to equip students with the skills needed to earn a living and repay the taxpayers for the money they’re borrowing,” she added. (RELATED: STEPHEN MOORE: Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Made Defaults Skyrocket)

She also voiced strong support for the Trump administration’s decision to withhold federal funding from institutions like Harvard University.

Donalds said she believes the administration was right to halt grants, student loans and visas to universities that do not uphold their basic responsibilities, particularly when they fail to protect students or eliminate divisive race-based quotas already ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

🚨NEW SCHOOL CHOICE POLL!🚨

From McLaughlin & Associates (obo @club4growth):
📈 82% believe in school choice
📈 70% support tax credit scholarships

School choice support by party (!!)
🚀 87% of Republicans
🚀 79% of Democrats and Independents

💥 81% of PARENTS support school… pic.twitter.com/4Z0SUQHWAA

— Erika Donalds (@ErikaDonalds) June 15, 2025

“If Harvard is advancing foreign interest or anti-American interests, then they shouldn’t have federal money to be able to do that,” Donalds added. (RELATED: Trump Says Hundreds Of Thousands Of Chinese Students Are ‘Good For Our Country’)

She also responded to the new U.S.–China trade deal, which includes a provision allowing American universities to continue accepting Chinese international students, despite recent reports of Chinese nationals allegedly smuggling bio-materials into the United States.

“I believe that President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have America First policies in mind, and that every decision they make is with the goal of keeping the American people safe and protecting our economy as well,” she said.

“If they believe that allowing these students into the country as part of their deal with China will advance American interests — and that it will be done in a way that keeps Americans safe — I trust them,” Donalds added.

“They have way more information than I do,” she continued, noting that both Trump and Rubio have been measured in their approach.

“When it comes to student visas, I know that the individuals we’ve entrusted with our national security — President Trump especially — have our best interests at heart, and they are making decisions with that in mind,” Donalds said.

She shared what motivated her to speak at the YWLS event, emphasizing her role as a mother of three boys.

Flew out early this morning to obey Titus 2 (IYKYK)! Super excited to take the stage at @TPUSA YWLS this morning – and yes I’ll be back in time for Father’s Day dinner. 😇
Got the perfect travel/green room gear for the occasion @JenniferSey @xx_xyathletics https://t.co/V9uyUPlg3n pic.twitter.com/RWH4tdA28T

— Erika Donalds (@ErikaDonalds) June 15, 2025

“I’d move heaven and earth to get here,” she said. “Because Titus 2 verse 3 and 4 says that older women need to train the younger women, and I take that call very seriously.” (RELATED: ‘Their Poll Numbers Suck’: Byron Donalds Says Democrats’ Support For ‘Open Borders’ Is Coming Back To Bite Them)

“I believe that we as older women who have weathered storms, who have learned lessons, who have found our way — especially with families and with career — it’s our obligation to help the next generation to avoid the mistakes that we’ve made and to find the American dream and the calling that God has for them,” she continued.

“I love to inspire, hopefully, and mentor young women because I want to see them succeed,” Donalds concluded.