• Fox News has banned Donald Trump's team from accessing its "spin room," which will host the Republican Party's first presidential primary debate on Wednesday in Milwaukee. NBC (LR: 2 CP: 4)
• Access to the spin room, which allows surrogates to interact with media outlets, is restricted to the teams of candidates participating in the debate. Daily Mail (LR: 5 CP: 5)
• Though Fox News argues that the spin room ban applies to all candidates who didn't qualify for the debate, the announcement comes a day after Trump said he wouldn't attend the event. New York Post (LR: 5 CP: 5)
• Some of Trump's surrogates, including former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, are expected to attend Wednesday's debate on his behalf. CNN (LR: 2 CP: 5)
• Instead of participating in the first GOP presidential debate, Trump is expected to release a pre-recorded interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson the same evening. Townhall (LR: 5 CP: 3)
• Meanwhile, CBS' latest polling placed Trump with 61% support from Republican primary voters, followed by Ron DeSantis at 17% and Vivek Ramaswamy at 6%. CBS (LR: 2 CP: 5)

Pro-Trump narrative:

• Although Trump aides may not officially be allowed into the spin room, there will be no shortage of Trump supporters at the debate. Regardless of what unfolds on Wednesday evening in Milwaukee, the event will inevitably be overlooked in favor of Trump's interview with Tucker Carlson, and other GOP candidates will continue to stand in the former president's shadow.
  The Western Journal

Anti-Trump narrative:

• While Trump will remain the inevitable elephant in the room in Milwaukee despite his lack of attendance, the Republican primaries and upcoming debates must take a stand against the former president's cult of personality. The GOP must regain its identity and separate itself from the growing disease of Trumpism — it must place principles against personal ambition.
  Newsweek (LR: 1 CP: 5)

Nerd narrative:

• There's a 75% chance that Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee for the 2024 US Presidential Election, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
  Metaculus (LR: 3 CP: 3)