Fox News reportedly told former President Donald Trump’s surrogates they are not allowed access to the post-debate “spin room” following Trump’s announcement that he would skip the debate due to a significant polling advantage.
Although Trump is not attending the first Republican primary debate hosted by Fox News Wednesday, several of his surrogates planned to attend the event.
As Breitbart News reported:
Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Byron Donalds (R-FL), and former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake will attend the debate, NBC News reported. The conservative heavyweights will be joined by Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle.
Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle will attend to conduct media interviews for the Trump team. They will also promote the former president on their Rumble shows.
Aides typically tout their candidates and criticize their opponents in the “spin room,” according to Axios.
However, Fox News is no longer allowing Trump’s team to represent the former president in the “spin room” due to Trump’s decision to skip the debate. The conservative cable news outlet said post-debate credentials would be given only to “participating candidate/campaigns,” according to a memo obtained by Axios.
Trump’s surrogates “believe they will be able to find new credentials,” and “are confident they will be in the spin room on Wednesday,” CNN’s Alayna Greene reported.
The former president's aides also believe they will be able to find new credentials, one of the advisers said, and say they are confident they will be in the spin room on Wednesday
— Alayna Treene (@alaynatreene) August 22, 2023
Trump’s surrogates are expected to have their debate tickets honored because the RNC manages those credentials, just not their access to Fox News’s post-debate “spin room.”
Members of Trump’s campaign, including his senior advisers, were also planning on being in the spin room.
— Alayna Treene (@alaynatreene) August 22, 2023
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 be honored.
Trump is expected to air an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson during the same time as the debates on Wednesday evening.
Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at
