News/Commentary

Fox News bars Trump surrogates from debate spin room after he declined to attend

August 22, 2023 | | Print Article

Sending in the surrogates hit a snag Monday for former President Donald Trump as a reported ban from the debate was met with mixed reaction.

Over the weekend, the president made clear that he would not be participating in the first GOP primary debate and the subsequent debates based on his poll numbers. In his stead, the one-time commander-in-chief sought to dispatch the likes of his son Donald Trump Jr., Florida Reps. Byron Donalds and Matt Gaetz, as well as campaign firebrand Kari Lake to serve up his message in the spin rooms.

Their participation was in doubt late Monday when CNN’s Alayna Treene had posted in a since deleted tweet, “NEW: Fox News, which is hosting the first GOP primary debate, informed the Trump campaign today they will no longer allow surrogates for the former president to attend the debate in Milwaukee given Trump is not planning on participating, 3 sources with direct knowledge tell @CNN.”

Her removal of the post came with a clarification that the cable news network with exclusive rights to air the debate “will no longer provide credentials to some Trump surrogates to attend the spin room given Trump is not planning on participating.”

Treene noted “Some of Trump’s surrogates are credentialed through outside media groups and will not be impacted.”

“Members of Trump’s campaign, including his senior advisers were also planning on being in the spin room. But Fox News is in charge of credentials for the spin room. The RNC manages credentials for the actual debate, and sources said those tickets are still expected [to] be honored,” the political reporter went on before adding, “Members of Trump’s teams and his surrogates, however, are still planning on traveling to Milwaukee and are working on a resolution with the network as well as the RNC, two Trump advisers told CNN.”

The sparring factions of supporters wasted no time weighing in with those backing the president calling out Fox News and contending they were set on smearing Trump.

“We told you Fox News only wanted Trump at the debate to sabotage him…As soon as Trump confirms he’s not going, Fox News bars his surrogates from attending…They want to smear him without anyone there to defend him,” suggested one while others made note of the president’s decision to do an interview with former primetime host Tucker Carlson instead.

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From the other side of the argument, reactions were thrilled at the decision by Fox News believing that Trump’s decision not to attend should be all-encompassing and that if he wanted to have his campaign represented that he should have agreed to participate.

“I’m shocked! Fox News actually got a backbone,” quipped one while another sniped, “Does that mean that Vivek Nikki And Scott…Cannot participate.”

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However, with time remaining until the debate went live, others remained in doubt that the ban would last and that RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel would grant the request of the surrogates.

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Kevin Haggerty
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