Fox News Bans Trump Team From Debate Spin Zone

Fox News announced a ban of all of President Trump’s surrogates from media row after the 1st Republican debate on Wednesday night.

Visiting media row after a debate is a long established tradition in presidential politics.

The purpose of media row is to allow the candidates, boosters and campaign folks time to chat with the media, answer questions, point out other candidate’s gaffes, and put a spin on every issue.

It’s a raucous atmosphere with dozens of people talking, some shouting, flashing camera lights and boom microphones.

Here’s a little reminder of the type of talk that went on after a 2015 Republican debate. From the LA Times:

In the spin room, like the carnival, everyone wins.

Step right up!

Who won the debate? I asked top Jeb Bush strategist David Kochel, a spin room vet from Des Moines who worked on Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign.

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“Gov. Bush, hands down,” Kochel said. “Great night for him.”

I raised my eyebrows.

“I’m right,” Kochel said. “I’m sure on this. He shut down Donald Trump for 40 minutes. That’s not easy to do, by the way.”

A few feet away, Rand Paul’s campaign manager, Chip Englander, begged to differ.

The debate in Milwaukee was to be no different except that the candidate leading the polls by 45+ points would not be participating in the debate despite Fox News’ efforts to make it happen.

CNN reported:

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday dined with top Fox executives at his Bedminster golf club, during which Fox News president Jay Wallace and the network’s chief executive, Suzanne Scott, encouraged him to participate in the first presidential debate the network is hosting later this month, two sources with knowledge told CNN.

Trump, who earlier in the evening had been indicted for a third time, did not commit to participating in the debate, which will take place in Milwaukee.

Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The New York Times first reported on the dinner.

Trump has privately and publicly floated skipping either one or both of the first two Republican presidential primary debates, and pointed to his commanding lead in the polls as one reason he is hesitant to share the stage with his GOP challengers.

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“Why would we debate? That would be stupid to go out there with that kind of lead,” one Trump adviser previously told CNN. However, not all of Trump’s allies feel this way. Some worry that an absent Trump would give an opportunity for a lower tier candidate to have a breakout moment.

While President Trump declared he would not go to Milwaukee, several Trump supporters including Donald Trump Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Kari Lake announced their plans to attend.

We're excited to see all of our friends in Milwaukee who want to Make America Great Again!!! #Trump2024 #MAGA https://t.co/kprtiiZsgd

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) August 21, 2023

Shortly thereafter,  Newsmax reported that Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News declared a “No Spin Zone” for Trump’s surrogates:

Sources tell the New York Post that Team Trump is moving ahead with its plans to attend and try to negotiate some type of truce with Fox News and the Republican National Committee:

Members of Trump’s campaign team and the former president’s surrogates will still travel to Milwaukee amid the banishment and are working on a resolution with Fox News and the Republican National Committee in order to be allowed in the post-debate “spin room,” according to the report.

Fox News and the Trump campaign did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.

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Steven K. Bannon believes this is another Fox News’ attempt to silence President Trump.

We do not have official confirmation of President Trump’s plans for Wednesday night while the “Keebler Elves” (as Steven K. Bannon calls them) are debating in Milwaukee.

There are rumors of a Tucker Carlson one-on-one interview in the same time slot.

According to NBC News:

Donald Trump has already recorded an interview with ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson that the former president intends to use as counterprogramming for the first GOP presidential debate on Wednesday night, which he has said he will skip, two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News.

Carlson has been in Europe since Saturday, a source close to him said.

It remains unclear how and when the interview will be published. Carlson has been releasing interviews on X, formerly known as Twitter, since getting fired by Fox News earlier this year.

What do you think about Fox News banning the Trump surrogates, and President Trump spending his time with Tucker instead of at the debate?

Is Murdoch’s Fox News correct to ban Team Trump from media row?

I know that I’m stocking up on popcorn right now. Hurry up Wednesday night!