Jay Collins got caught pushing one woke policy that exposed his biggest lie to Florida voters

Florida’s so-called “anti-woke” Lieutenant Governor has some explaining to do.

Voters thought they were getting a genuine conservative warrior.

But Jay Collins got caught pushing one woke policy that exposed his biggest lie to Florida voters.

Collins preached anti-DEI while secretly enforcing woke mandates

Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins built his political brand on fighting the “woke mind virus” that’s infected American institutions.

The decorated Army Green Beret rode the anti-DEI wave straight into the Florida Senate and eventually into the Lieutenant Governor’s mansion.

Collins even posted on social media in March that “DEI is dead. Equality is not equity and opportunity is not outcome.”

But there’s one major problem with Collins’ anti-woke crusade.

For years, he was the chief operating officer of Operation BBQ Relief – a disaster recovery organization that mandates comprehensive DEI training and policies.

And we’re not talking about some casual diversity statement buried on a website.

Collins’ organization requires “mandatory annual training and education for OBR employees and key role volunteers with regard to inclusion and diversity.”¹

The group’s six-page DEI policy document reads like it came straight out of a corporate HR department’s woke playbook.

The DEI mandates Collins secretly enforced would make any leftist proud

Operation BBQ Relief’s diversity policy makes most corporations look tame by comparison.

The organization Collins helped lead for years “embraces and encourages” differences based on “age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status.”²

But it gets worse.

The policy specifically states it must be applied “with equal force and effect” across hiring practices, compensation, benefits, promotions, terminations, and even volunteer roles.

Collins’ organization even committed to building an environment “on the premise of gender and diversity equity.”³

The group pledged to choose “vendors and independent contractors that have adopted their own diversity and inclusion policy.”

They promised to ensure “diversity of voices” when selecting speakers and faculty for programs and events.

Collins wasn’t just some passive board member who signed off on paperwork.

He served as both chief operating officer and chief program officer, pulling down around $170,000 per year – making hundreds of thousands over his entire tenure pushing these woke policies.

DeSantis praised Collins for fighting the “woke agenda” he was secretly advancing

The timing of this revelation makes it even more embarrassing for Governor Ron DeSantis.

When DeSantis appointed Collins as Lieutenant Governor, he specifically praised him for defeating the “woke agenda.”

“He helped us defeat the woke agenda in Florida. CRT, DEI, ESG – all in the dustbin of history in the sunshine state because of our efforts,” DeSantis declared.⁴

At a press conference last week, DeSantis doubled down on Collins’ anti-woke credentials.

“He was leading charities that would respond after disasters,” the Governor said, apparently unaware those same charities were mandating DEI training.⁵

When confronted with this report, DeSantis tried to dismiss the obvious contradiction.

“Implying he is woke is a joke. That dog won’t hunt,” DeSantis responded.⁶

https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1959980440946622618

But the documentation doesn’t lie – Collins was enforcing the exact woke policies he now claims to oppose.

This exposes the biggest problem with the anti-woke movement

Look, here’s what really happened here.

Collins saw which way the political winds were blowing in Florida and decided to rebrand himself as an anti-woke warrior.

The man was literally enforcing mandatory DEI training while campaigning against DEI in the Florida Senate.

Think about the level of political calculation that requires.

Collins wasn’t some confused moderate who evolved on the issues – he was running a full-blown woke organization while telling voters he was fighting woke ideology.

And you know what? This isn’t just about one politician’s hypocrisy.

This exposes the entire problem with politicians who suddenly discover conservative principles when it becomes politically convenient.

Real conservatives don’t spend years enforcing “gender and diversity equity” policies and then wake up one morning opposed to DEI.

They recognize the problems with these discriminatory programs from the beginning.

Collins’ organization even required contractors to embrace diversity policies – the same kind of corporate pressure tactics that actual conservatives have been fighting for years.

Florida voters deserve better than politicians who will say anything to get elected.

The state has become a beacon for Americans fleeing woke policies in other states.

They’re not looking for leaders who secretly advanced the same destructive ideology they’re trying to escape.

If Collins wants to maintain any credibility as Lieutenant Governor, he needs to explain why Florida voters should trust someone who spent years pushing the very policies he now claims to oppose.

Otherwise, this looks like just another case of a career politician telling people what they want to hear while doing the opposite behind closed doors.

¹ Florida’s Voice, “Florida’s new ‘anti-woke’ Lt. Gov. Jay Collins was the face of an organization that mandates DEI training, policies and ‘equity’,” Florida News, August 25, 2025.

² – ⁶ Ibid.