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Mabinty Quarshie, National Politics Correspondent


NextImg:Elder and Hurd lead pushback against RNC from candidates excluded from debate

After the Republican National Committee announced the eight presidential candidates eligible for its first primary debate on Wednesday, at least two candidates who were not included in the lineup voiced their frustrations.

On Tuesday, long-shot GOP candidates Larry Elder, former Texas Rep. Will Hurd, and Perry Johnson expressed their disappointment on social media with the RNC's debate qualifications, with Elder threatening to sue the RNC.

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"I intend to sue the RNC to halt Wednesday's presidential debate," Elder said. "I said from the beginning that it appeared the rules of the game were rigged, little did we know just how rigged it is. For some reason, the establishment leaders at the RNC are afraid of having my voice on the debate stage. Just as I had to fight to successfully be on the ballot in the California recall election, I will fight to be on that debate stage because I fully met all of the requirements to do so."

Eligible debate candidates were required to meet a 40,000-donor threshold, including 200 unique donors in 20 states or territories, and receive at least 1% in three national polls or 1% in two national polls and 1% in an early nominating state such as Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, or South Carolina.

Elder has consistently polled below 1% in multiple polls and has a 0.5% polling average, according to RealClearPolitics. That didn't stop him from slamming the debate qualifications.


"The RNC Committee on Debates meets in Milwaukee today. Are they even aware their leaders are keeping voices off the stage that qualified?" Elder continued. "I'm calling for a discussion and a vote of the full committee on the rigged polling criteria set by the anti-conservative, anti-Trump RNC establishment."

Elder also claimed that after his campaign submitted the qualification package, the RNC took issue with a Rasmussen poll because of its ties to former President Donald Trump.

Hurd took to social media to reiterate his stance against the RNC's loyalty pledge required of all participating debate stage candidates. "I have said from day one of my candidacy that I will not sign a blood oath to Donald Trump," he said.

Hurd also claimed he had met the 40,000-donor threshold and that he was registering in multiple polls, though, like Elder, he said the RNC's decision on which polls to include was unclear.

"The lack of transparency and confusion around the RNC's debate requirements is antithetical to the democratic process," he said. "The polling standards are arbitrary, unclear, and lack consistency. This is an unacceptable process for a presidential election. The American people deserve better."

The former Texas congressman is also polling below 1% in multiple national polls. According to RealClearPolitics, Hurd averages a 0.4% poll rating. "It's disappointing being kept off of the debate stage, but I will not be deterred. The stakes are too high," Hurd continued.

Johnson, like Elder, slammed the debate as "corrupted" in the wake of not making the debate stage. He claimed he had met the donor and polling requirements. "The debate process has been corrupted, plain and simple," Johnson said. "Our campaign hit every metric put forward by the RNC and we have qualified for the debate. We'll be in Milwaukee Wednesday and will have more to say tomorrow."

A fourth candidate who did not make the debate, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, has not commented on being cut from the lineup, nor did his campaign or affiliated super PAC respond to the Washington Examiner's request for comment. Suarez claimed last week that he had met the debate requirements, but the RNC swiftly pushed back against those claims, saying he didn't qualify. Suarez had said any candidate who doesn't appear in the debate should end his or her presidential campaign. It remains unclear whether he will suspend his campaign.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Late Monday night, the RNC announced that the eight candidates who qualified for the debate are Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC).

Trump, the front-runner in the GOP presidential race, will skip the debate and release a prerecorded interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, a move that will take media attention from the debate.