Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Byron Donalds linked recent outbreaks of measles across the country to unauthorized immigration during an interview on CBS News’ Face the Nation.
The exchange began when moderator Margaret Brennan pointed out that vaccination rates across most of Florida have dropped below the 95% threshold required to maintain herd immunity against measles.
Asked if he would advise Florida parents to ensure their children receive the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, Donalds declined to give a direct endorsement.
“No. Actually, my message to Floridians and, quite frankly, to Americans is, the reason why we have seen a measles outbreak in certain parts of the country is because of rampant illegal immigration into the United States from the previous administration,” Donalds said.
When Brennan pressed him on what evidence supported that claim, Donalds pointed to recent regional cases.
“We’ve seen the outbreaks in El Paso, Texas, in southwest Florida, where I live, and many other parts where you know that you have a situation, people have come into the country illegally, have not had that vaccination schedule,” Donalds stated. He added that he was referring to standard long-standing inoculations, arguing that “people weren’t even getting the measles vaccine or mumps and rubella”.
Donalds argued that border security is directly tied to managing public health risks, asserting that a country cannot absorb large populations without documented immunizations.
“The key thing is you, number one, you’ve got to control immigration into your country,” he said. “You can’t have an entire segment of people, more than 10 million, come into your country without that vaccination schedule. That’s how you end up having some of these outbreaks”.
Brennan followed up by asking if his stance meant he favored ensuring immigrants receive vaccinations.
“Actually, I just want legal immigrants,” Donalds replied. “To be clear, I just want legal immigration with assimilation”.
Throughout the discussion, Donalds also pushed to shift the focus away from state vaccine mandates toward general healthcare pricing transparency. He argued that rising medical costs driven by the Affordable Care Act remain the central healthcare concern for voters, pledging to make pricing transparency a core priority if elected governor.
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