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Byron Donalds: “Washington had the bright idea that they were going to…”

Featuring: Byron Donalds, Republican | U.S. House, Florida, District 19

Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers

Published February 21, 2026 | Video Starts at 44:16

The regulatory burden of procuring raw materials to build housing is crazy. And if you wonder why the costs are up, the question on renewables. A decade ago, Washington had the bright idea that they were going to increase the weatherization and efficiency standards for housing. And I'm not opposed to that. But what it did, it artificially raised the cost of what it is to build, build housing in the United States. (44:16–44:23)

CLAIM

Asserts that Washington increased weatherization and efficiency standards for housing.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Byron Donalds

“In 1975, they changed the filibuster from a 67 vote threshold to a 60 vote threshold.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 11:40-11:45
“The Israeli bond portfolio, as I understand it, yields around five and a quarter.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 40:15-40:20
“About 30 or 35% of building a new home in the United States is government permitting, planning, government time.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 42:34-42:45
“The way Florida has been able to progress from when I first got here to where it is right now has been with consistent common sense…”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 02:43-02:53
“Governor DeSantis, our current governor, has done a great job in that regard.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 02:53-02:58
“A lot of [the future of our economy] is going to be based upon service because we are consuming more data.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 02:59-28:58
“In 2008, the funding worlds fiscal economy was blowing up at its core. It started here in the United States.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 04:15-04:25
“The core reason why it started was because we had major delinquencies in residential, in the residential housing market, single family…”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 04:24-04:35
“Some stupid politician in the 90s, actually several of them thought it was a good idea to have no credit quality when it came to actually…”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 04:38-04:49
“What ended up happening was people were in homes that they couldn't afford.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 04:57-05:02
“When they couldn't make the payments, you had too many people who were having to just give the homes back to the bank.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 05:24-05:29
“When that occurred, it created a systemic crash in the financial markets.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 05:29-05:33
“A lot of the issues that are frustrating Americans today, especially young Americans, the reason why they don't change is because of the…”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 11:06-11:14
“In the House of Representatives, we pass all kind of bills. We pass them all the time, we send it to the Senate. And in the Senate, it dies.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 11:13-11:20
“The filibuster as we know it today was actually brought into being around 1915, 1917.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 11:26-11:32
“If you're going to tackle housing, immigration, energy policy, budget policy, tax policy, today in Washington, you have to get 60 votes in…”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 11:56-12:09
“The immigration standards in America used to be before 1965, which we need finding a Democrat senator that's going to do that.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 12:43-12:52
“We were funding Everglades restoration, Central Everglades restoration plans.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 18:09-18:14
“The governor has been a true leader in this, making sure that [Everglades restoration] continues to get funded.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 18:14-18:20
“We probably have about five to seven years of work left to do [on Everglades restoration].”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 18:19-18:27
“We're probably going to have 5 to 7 million people come to Florida.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 19:39-19:45
“Florida is going to continue to grow. You can't build a wall between us and Georgia. That's unconstitutional.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 19:48-19:57
“Companies are coming here because we have a low tax rate with common sense.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 20:05-20:11
“Florida should embrace small modular reactors, micronuclear reactors.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 20:54-20:59
“We have to start looking at hydrogen power. Is it really possible and durable and safe, and can we add that to the grid?”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 21:00-21:08
“Some of the trade policies that President Trump has gotten done, the others that he's trying to get done, those are things that we're going…”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 23:09-23:26
“We don't want to have Mexico dumping produce and dumping other specialty products into America.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 23:34-23:40
“We are committed to making sure that ag remains a major part of our state.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 24:44-24:48
“You cannot raise the per kilowatt hour on Floridians.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 26:44-26:48
“We have to make sure that you're not damaging our environment and not damaging our water.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 26:48-26:53
“I support micro reactors and small modular nuclear reactors, because you could actually deploy that on site with the data center not taking…”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 27:17-27:27
“If you're going to build a data center, it has to be set back far enough from the next person's ranch or the next person's home.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 27:29-27:37
“Data centers are going to be a function of American life going forward.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 28:09-28:14
“The more you use technology, the more server space that you're going to need.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 29:18-29:22
“I don't want to warehouse my data in China. I don't trust them.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 29:47-29:51
“India has to deal with Russia. They share a border. I don't want my data there.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 29:57-30:04
“I don't trust the Democrats in Virginia. I don't want my data there.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 30:06-30:06
“Florida should lead [in technology and AI].”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 30:10-30:15
“I made calls over to the White House, said, hey, we gotta look at this [Argentinian beef issue].”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 31:23-31:30
“If you're anti Semitic, you're going to go paint swastikas or somebody or somebody's business or somebody's car.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 33:03-33:10
“Solar and wind are not green.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 37:25-37:27
“The greenest form of power on the planet is nuclear.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 37:50-37:54
“The second greenest is natural gas.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 37:54-37:57
“If you artificially inflate the cost of energy, you artificially inflate the cost of everything else.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 38:21-38:28
“U.S. treasuries don't yield that.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 39:50-40:23
“These bonds in question are not just Florida bonds written that everybody's talking about are in our pension fund.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 40:23-40:31
“These are actually the asset holdings of our police officers, insurance, our firefighters, our teachers.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 40:31-40:38
“In Florida, it's probably about two years to put a shovel in the ground and build a single family home.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 42:45-42:51
“The Kamala Harris plan doesn't work.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 43:41-43:44
“The regulatory burden of procuring raw materials to build housing is crazy.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 44:04-44:09
“The governor does not have control over the investment board.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 45:22-45:25
“The investment board is appointed by the governor's office, but they don't have control over that.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 45:25-45:30
“We don't do that in Florida. That's the reason we're not California. That's the reason we're not New York.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 46:05-46:12
“Are there anti semites? 100% there are.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 47:25-47:28
“These ICE agents are having to wear masks to protect their families because of organized protesters by George Soros.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 55:51-56:07
“The American people even today, support deportations of illegal aliens.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 57:05-57:11
“Tom Holman got the money last August to start this.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 57:21-57:26
“If you are going to set up a logistical system to deport 5 million illegal aliens, let alone 10, it takes longer than six months.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 57:27-57:39
“The administration is actually standing up the effort necessary to do what President Trump promised the American people.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 57:51-57:59
“I was at the potential ICE facility in Orlando. It's about 150,000 square feet of space.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 57:58-58:04
“When the vote came to the floor, I voted for [the Epstein files] to be released.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 1:00:28-1:00:32
“In the United States of America, we do not do justice by the mob or by social media or by commentary.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 1:00:35-1:00:43
“The foundation of our country, the Fourth Amendment, the Fifth Amendment in particular, the very basis of the constitutional republic, is to…”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 1:01:40-1:01:55
“America will not last another 250 years if [our system of justice] moves at the whims of the algorithm.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 1:03:38-1:03:41
“We have two real enemies on the face of this planet, and that is the Chinese Communist Party, and that is the Muslim Brotherhood and radical…”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 1:04:25-1:04:35
“The way you destabilize America is you have their people destabilize it from inside.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 1:05:03-1:05:09
“I 100% believe we have psyops going on in social media to decentralize America's internal political fabric.”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 1:05:11-1:05:25
“I'm on the Oversight Committee. We are doing some of that work right now. We're bringing Bill and Hillary in next week to question them…”
Turning Point USA Event at Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 1:06:14-1:06:22