In response to former President Donald Trump’s decision to skip Wednesday’s Republican presidential debate, Fox News has limited access members of his campaign will have to the post-debate media room.
Fox will automatically allow only those candidates who are participating in the campaign to have aides in the room, Axios reported, citing a Fox memo.
Trump aides who expected to be in the room at the Milwaukee debate will be allowed in only if they enter as guests of media organizations.
Trump, who had said for weeks he was considering skipping the debate, announced Sunday that he was a definite no-show.
Trump will counter the debate with an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who has been hosting a show on X, formerly Twitter, since he was pulled off the air by Fox in April. Fox has demanded Carlson stop the shows, but he has rejected the demand.
Tucker’s interview with Trump will have 10 times the viewers of the Fox GOP debate.
— Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) August 18, 2023
Axios framed the debate conflict as part of the drama between Trump and Fox, writing, “Some at Fox — including News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch — are wary of Trump but the network also doesn’t want to overtly antagonize the former president or his supporters.”
Trump, for his part, has said Fox is no longer friendly territory.
“Why doesn’t Fox and Friends show all of the Polls where I am beating Biden, by a lot. They just won’t do it! Also, they purposely show the absolutely worst pictures of me, especially the big ‘orange’ one with my chin pulled way back. They think they are getting away with something, they’re not. Just like 2016 all over again…And then they want me to debate!” he posted on his Truth Social platform.
Although Trump campaign aides will not automatically be in the post-debate media room, there will be no shortage of Trump supporters there to offer comment on the event. Donald Trump Jr. will be attending, according to NBC, as will Political Rockstar Kari Lake, a Trump supporter who lost a hotly contested election for Arizona governor.
Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Reps. Matt Gaetz and Byron Donalds of Florida — all Trump allies — will also be on hand.
Trump will be at his Bedminster, New Jersey, club as the debate unfolds, having already recorded his interview with Carlson.
All other GOP Presidential candidates should be thanking Almighty God that Donald Trump has decided not to do the debates. The last time that man got on a debate stage he ended entire family legacies & dynasties.
Debate Trump is the most ruthless man in politics. pic.twitter.com/0NuGNOt8Do
— George (@BehizyTweets) August 21, 2023
The eight candidates debating Wednesday night are North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Discredited United Nations Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, according to Fake News CNN.
Axios noted that no matter what happens Wednesday night, the debate is likely to be overshadowed Thursday when Trump plans to be in Atlanta to be arraigned after being indicted over his efforts to challenge the 2020 presidential election.
Trump’s decision not to participate in the debate will leave his rivals in his shadow, one commentator said, according to The Hill.
“It does make it more difficult in part because they won’t have nearly the audience that they would have if Trump was there and the whole game would be how those candidates stand up to Trump, whether they are directly critical of him,” Steven S. Smith, professor emeritus of political science at Washington University in St. Louis, told the publication.