Former first son Donald Trump Jr. was escorted out of the spin room of the Republican debate.
Donald Trump Jr., an outspoken defender of his father, former President Donald Trump, attended the debate with the intention of representing his father's team in the post-debate spin room. Fox News established the criteria that only aides of candidates onstage or representatives of other media outlets would be allowed in the spin room. The former first son attempted to enter but was blocked by security.
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Speaking with reporters at the debate, he lamented that Fox News was "trying to ban people from actually having discourse about politics," adding that it "probably shouldn't surprise any of us."
"How un-American of them," Guilfoyle chimed in.
BREAKING: Fox News ordered security to block Don Jr and Kim Guilfoyle from the post-debate spin room when they attempted to enter after the debate tonight.pic.twitter.com/oEDxx3zsOK
— Jack Poso ???????? (@JackPosobiec) August 24, 2023
Trump then accused those in charge of the debate of trying to sabotage his father's campaign and used it as an example of why the former president was right not to attend the debate.
"It shouldn't surprise any of us, and it's also why Trump was 100% right to not go to this debate," Trump Jr. said. "It's beneath him, and when you know that you're walking into his setup because of exactly these kinds of circumstances, you understand exactly what's going on."
"This is no different than what we see from the Democrats," he added. "It's no different than what we're seeing from the Fulton County DA when you're trying to put a gag order on Donald Trump so he can't defend himself in court proceedings, and more importantly, to function as an intimidation tactic for anyone else who would defend him."
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The former first son also said that the decision to bar him from the spin room was a danger to democracy.
His father decided earlier in the week not to attend the debate after much speculation. The candidates onstage consisted of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former Vice President Mike Pence, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.