Fox News has taken steps to limit the presence of former President Donald Trump’s surrogates at the Republican Party primary debate in Milwaukee, following Trump’s announcement that he would not be participating in the event. The network communicated to the Trump campaign that access to the debate’s “spin room,” where top supporters advocate for their chosen candidates and criticize opponents, would only be granted to “participating candidate/campaigns.” This directive, as outlined in a memo obtained by Axios, applies to both Trump’s campaign and other campaigns that didn’t meet the qualifying criteria.
Over the weekend, the 77-year-old former president used the results of a CBS News GOP primary poll as a basis to declare that he wouldn’t be engaging in the debates. He asserted that the poll’s findings demonstrated the primary was essentially decided, thereby negating the need for his participation. However, a separate significant poll from Iowa, released later in the week, indicated that the primary race might be much more competitive in the pivotal primary state.
Through social media, Trump made his stance clear, stating, “I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!” Instead of appearing at the debate, he opted to record a pre-taped interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, which will be streamed on various social media platforms during the debate’s timeframe.
The CBS News poll, which Trump referenced to justify his absence, included a question for “likely Republican primary voters” regarding Trump’s participation in the debate. The poll inquired whether respondents believed Donald Trump should or should not take part in the Republican debate. In response, 73% indicated that he “should” participate, while only 27% believed he “should not.”
In an unexpected turn, “Fox & Friends” co-host Steve Doocy suggested that Trump’s decision to skip the debates might inadvertently assist President Joe Biden. He argued that Trump’s absence could provide Biden with a justification to decline debating Trump if the latter secures the Republican Party’s nomination. Doocy noted that by refusing to participate in the debates, Trump might unintentionally offer Biden an excuse to avoid debating him. He explained that this was something Ronna McDaniel, a key figure in the Republican Party, had communicated to Trump while urging him to participate in the initial debate. Despite such advice, Trump firmly declined, sticking to his position that he wouldn’t engage in the debates.
In Doocy’s analysis, Trump’s rationale of “everybody knows me, I don’t need to do it” could potentially lead Biden to respond with “everybody knows me, I’m president.” This dynamic could have implications for the future debates and the overall campaign strategy.