Donald Trump, Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle tried to crash the spin room after the Republican primary debate. They were denied access to the spin room but were able to hang around in the media center at Fiserv Forum for attention.

They were warned before the debate that surrogates for candidates, not on the stage would not be allowed into the spin room. It was a fair decision if you ask me. Why should a candidate who doesn’t participate in the debate get media attention by way of surrogates? Why should Trump be allowed to have surrogates in the spin room if he isn’t going to bother participating in the process? So, Don, Jr. and Kimberley “lingered” outside the room with members of the press.

Team Trump is wining and dining the D.C. press, which seems odd since Trump gets so much attention for trashing the press. “Fake news”, anyone? There was an article in Politico before the debate yesterday that reported on a dinner that Team Trump had with far-left reporters in Milwaukee.

SPOTTED IN MILWAUKEE — Team Trump wining and dining with several top reporters at a steakhouse called “Rare” — and passing out pudding snack packs (a swipe at RON DeSANTIS’ “pudding fingers” story) as well as debate bingo cards to troll the Florida governor. Squares included: “dismisses polls,” “wipes snot,” “red ears,” “Dee-Santis,” “Duh-Santis,” “flip flops on Social Security… again,” “woke” and “pudding mention.” See pictures here and here

Who was there: Reporters Dana Bash, Shane Goldmacher, Kristen Welker, Bob Costa, Fin Gomez, Dasha Burns, Rachel Scott, Rick Klein, Josh Dawsey, Rob Crilly, Mario Parker and David Chalian along with Chris LaCivita, Jason Miller and Steven Cheung. And across the restaurant, feet away: members of Team DeSantis.

I will tell you that I saw Chris LaCivita (a Trump strategist) on the Ruthless Podcast in a pre-debate show. He has a very Trumpian-type of arrogance about him and I was not impressed with his pre-debate attitude. Team Trump has a chip on its shoulder the size of a boulder. Why can’t Trump just be the nominee and skip the whole primary process already? That seems to be the attitude.

So, who knows what Team Trump cooked up with the far-left D.C. media? It’s unseemly, though, and makes Trump look swampy. Team DeSantis is mentioned as being at the same restaurant but not dining with the press.

Don, Jr. said his father won’t bother with the next debate. That tracks with what Trump posted on Truth Social. Trump doesn’t want to do the second debate which will be at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Simi Valley, California on September 27. His excuse is that the chairman of the board of trustees of the Reagan Foundation is Fred Ryan, publisher and chief executive officer of The Washington Post. The Reagan Library never invited Trump to speak there during his presidency, or before or after his presidency. He’s not going to do a debate there now. Does Trump know that Ryan was Reagan’s chief of staff from 1989 to 1995?

“The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform. “I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!”

So, kudos to Don and Kim for getting the attention they seek without being in the spin room. They were told in advance so their grousing about it after the debate just sounds like whining. Don, Jr. trashed DeSantis and showed some love for Vivek.

Speaking to a small group of reporters, Trump Jr. claimed his father, who participated in a 45-minute interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that aired minutes before the Republicans’ marquee event, won the debate.

He dubbed biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy the winner among those on stage Wednesday and attacked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has registered as a distant second to Trump in most national polling. He likened DeSantis to a “deer in headlights.”

“I think Ron DeSantis lost,” Trump Jr. told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I think anything that was a standout moment that got any applause was already a policy that was Trump. … Vivek destroyed him.”

He added: “Ron DeSantis has his opportunity tonight and totally missed it. Totally missed it.”

Team Trump loves Vivek and Vivek is a big Trump fan. The relationship is suspect at this point.

Don, Jr. also trashed Fox News Channel after the debate because he didn’t get in the spin room. He claims that Fox has been promoting the other candidates but is anti-Trump. Really? I have FNC on a lot in the background as I go about my day and the network is full of Trump supporters. The hosts openly support Trump and enjoy slamming DeSantis, in particular.

Trump and his team thrive on grievances. Don, Jr. is following in his father’s path. He may not have been given access to the spin room but he garnered press attention outside the room as he waited around for that attention.