Carly Fiorina doesn't make the cut for ABC's Saturday night GOP debate
Carly Fiorina failed to make the cut for Saturday night's Republican primary debate, hosted by ABC News and the Republican National Committee (RNC) in New Hampshire, ABC announced Thursday. The news follows public pressure from Fiorina and other prominent Republicans to allow her to participate in the final GOP debate before New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primaries on Tuesday.
Aside from Fiorina, the only other candidate left out is former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore. The candidates who were invited to participate are: John Kasich, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Ben Carson and Chris Christie.
Earlier in the week, Fiorina sent a letter to the RNC arguing that ABC and other networks arbitrarily determine who is allowed to participate in the debates. She pointed out that after Monday's Iowa caucuses, she has the same number of delegates as Bush and Kasich. Moreover, Fiorina noted she's surpassed Carson in New Hampshire polling and has more cash on hand than Kasich or Christie.
Mitt Romney, the GOP's 2012 nominee, weighed in earlier Thursday, urging ABC to allow Fiorina to participate. Other Republicans, including former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Sen. Ben Sasse, have also come to Fiorina's defense:
.@CarlyFiorina should be on the debate stage Saturday!!
— Rick Perry (@GovernorPerry) February 4, 2016
Carly is one of the best story-tellers @GOP has
— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 4, 2016
Only one poll has mattered so far-& she got delegates
She shld be on the #GOPdebate stage
On the campaign trail on Thursday, Cruz also called ABC's decision a "mistake."
"She has worked hard, she has run a diligent campaign, she's inspired a lot of people and she deserves to be up there on that stage," he said. "And so I would encourage the organizers of the debate to include Carly there. I think she belongs there and I think she would add a beneficial element to the discussion and the debate."