Fox News tells Trump surrogates they are no longer welcomed at first debate: Report

Fox News reportedly informed the Trump campaign on Monday that surrogates for the former president will not be allowed to attend the first Republican primary debate. 

The barring of Trump surrogates from attending Wednesday’s debate at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee comes one day after the 77-year-old former president confirmed that he would not participate in the event, which will be aired on Fox News, CNN’s Alayna Treene reported on Monday.

The ex-commander-in-chief’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., had said Monday that he would be attending the showdown as a surrogate for his father.

His fiancée, Kimberly Guilfoyle, was also expected to show up at the event and run media for the former president, according to the Daily Caller. 

Several Trump flacks and supporters of the 2024 GOP primary frontrunner, including failed Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and Reps. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), had also been planning to attend, according to Treene.

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. 

Trump announced Sunday that he would skip the first GOP debate and likely others, citing his “legendary” poll numbers. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum have met RNC donor and polling thresholds and pledged to support the eventual GOP nominee – requirements to be allowed on stage Wednesday.