Senator Bernie Sanders is blasting the Democratic National Committee for changing their rules to allow Michael Bloomberg to participate ...
Senator Bernie Sanders is blasting the Democratic National Committee for changing their rules to allow Michael Bloomberg to participate in the next debate, while keeping out others like Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
Speaking at a press conference in New Hampshire, Sanders called the rule change an “outrage.”
“I think it is an outrage,” Sanders said. “Listen, rules are rules and people like Julián Castro played by the rules, campaigned really hard. Cory Booker played by the rules. Tulsi Gabbard played by the rules. Andrew Yang played by the rules.”
“And based on the rules determined by the DNC, they were unable to participate in one or more debates,” he continued.
Sanders did not say Bloomberg’s name, just referring to him as a guy “worth $55 billion.”
“Suddenly a guy comes in who has not campaigned one bit in Iowa or New Hampshire…but he’s worth $55 billion and I guess if you’re worth $55 billion you can get the rules changed for a debate,” Sanders said.
Last week, the DNC dropped the donor requirement for participation in the February debate in Las Vegas — meaning that Bloomberg and his self-funded campaign could potentially be eligible to participate. To make the stage, candidates must now only meet a delegates threshold or a polling threshold.
In order to be eligible, candidates must have gained either one delegate in the disastrous Iowa caucus or New Hampshire primary, reach 10 percent support in at least four national polls or surveys of South Carolina and Nevada between Jan. 15 and Feb. 18., or reach 12 percent support in two sanctioned national or early-state surveys.
Bloomberg has previously not been eligible for the debates because he did not reach the donor threshold that was previously required.
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