A document appearing to ban former President Donald Trump's staffers from the first GOP presidential primary debate circulated on social media Wednesday night, but did not stop the three men from attending the event at Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum.
Trump, who served as president from 2017 to 2021 and remains the front-runner in the 2024 race for the GOP nomination, opted to not attend the Republican debate in Wisconsin, instead participating in an interview with ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Trump has pointed to his strong polling numbers to explain why he is not participating in the debate.
NBC News reporter Dasha Burns reported that a flyer seen at the debate spin room showed that three Trump staff members were allegedly banned from the debate.
"This was on the security table near the metal detectors at the entrance to the debate spin room. Jason Miller, Justin Caparole and Danny Tiso — all three Trump staffers — are specifically listed as being barred from the debate," she wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The flyer read that those three staffers were "not approved for entry//not valid credential."
However, it appeared that at least one of those staffers was allowed at the debate. Miller told Newsweek that he was inside the debate hall when it started, despite what the document said.
"Fox News' 'Never Trump' bias against President Trump apparently now extends to his supporters as well. It's tacky, it's petty, and it explains why their ratings are in the toilet. Watch President Trump's interview with Tucker Carlson on Twitter tonight at 8:55pm ET!" Miller wrote in a statement to Newsweek.
A Fox News spokesperson, however wrote in a statement that this flyer was not produced by the company and was printed as a guide for candidate walk-throughs that took place on Tuesday, the day before the debate.
"This paper was designed and printed by the Fiserv Forum security team as a guide for candidate walk throughs that took place yesterday. FOX News Media was not involved with the production of the document and did not sanction any of the language used," the spokesperson wrote.
While Trump did not participate, the following eight candidates qualified and showed up to the debate: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis; former Vice President Mike Pence; former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley; South Carolina Senator Tim Scott; North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum; former governors Chris Christie of New Jersey and Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas; and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
Trump addressed skipping the debate in a Truth Social post last week.
"Many people are asking whether or not I will be doing the DEBATES? ALL AMERICANS have been clamoring for a President of extremely High Intelligence," Trump wrote on August 18. "As everyone is aware, my Poll numbers, over a 'wonderful' field of Republican candidates, are extraordinary. In fact, I am leading the runner up, whoever that may now be, by more than 50 Points."
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