Florida gubernatorial candidate Jay Collins lays out national security agenda after MacDill bomb threat

Shauna Muckle, Tampa Bay Times on Apr 1, 2026

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TAMPA, Fla. —Lt. Gov. Jay Collins addressed the bomb threat at MacDill Air Force Base and touted his record on preventing foreign espionage at a news conference in South Tampa on Wednesday.

Collins, a former Green Beret in the U.S. Army, has repeatedly emphasized his 2023 bill that banned the Chinese Communist Party from purchasing or acquiring property in the state.

He said he wants to build upon that record as governor after Alen Zheng, 20, allegedly planted a bomb at the MacDill Air Force Base visitors center last month.

“What if that would have blown up and would have cost airmens’ lives, special operators’ lives, children’s lives?” he said. “It could have, right there.”

Collins noted that Zheng’s mother overstayed her visa, according to federal prosecutors. He suggested that other immigrants who entered the country illegally could threaten national security.

Alen Zheng is a U.S. citizen.

“What we have here again is a situation where someone who was here illegally got visa, extended their stay, and look what happened,” he said. “This isn’t about our Asian American citizens. ... This is about countries of concern, countries who don’t espouse our values, our freedoms, our thoughts.”

Collins laid out a few proposals that he said would help counter terrorism and espionage in Florida.

He said he wants to ban visa holders from “nations of terror and/or espionage” from attending Florida universities and working for companies with government contracts. Earlier this year, the Trump administration paused issuing visas to applicants from 75 countries, including Middle Eastern nations like Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as places like Brazil and Thailand.

Collins said he wants to boost state and local law enforcement’s access to federal task forces, which often deal with issues like terrorism and organized crime, according to the FBI.

He added that businesses need to continue being trained on how to spot and report threats through programs like Business Partners Against Terrorism, founded by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

In his remarks, Collins also indicated that he’ll follow Gov. Ron DeSantis’ lead on removing state prosecutors who don’t align with him politically. He said he’d examine removing judges as well.

“The leftist prosecutors who ignore the oath of office and coddle criminals have to be dealt with. If they can’t do their job to protect our people, then they need to be removed from office,” he said. “That will continue under my administration.”

Collins, like other Republican challengers, faces an uphill battle against Trump-endorsed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds. Donalds had raised more than $45 million by the end of 2025. He leads the field in every poll conducted so far, typically by double digits.

Collins has pointed to a February poll sponsored by the James Madison Institute, where 15% of respondents said they’d support him in the GOP gubernatorial primary. In comparison, 33% of respondents said they’d support Donalds.

But recent polls show close to half of respondents are still undecided — meaning there’s room to catch up, Collins said.

Collins said in an interview with the Tampa Bay Times that he’s still vying for DeSantis’ endorsement. He argued DeSantis’ past praise and decision to appoint him lieutenant governor amounts to an implicit endorsement in “actions and words.”

“In Florida, you’ve got to earn it,” Collins said. “Gov. DeSantis has never endorsed people on launch, not for something like this ... nor would I expect him to. That’s his policy, that’s his approach, and frankly, I need to earn it.”