CNN Changes Debate Rules, Opening Door for Carly Fiorina to Participate

CNN announced on Tuesday that it had amended the criteria for participants of its mid-September Republican presidential debate, opening the door for former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina to take the main stage.

Rebulican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina fields a question during a presidential forum hosted by FOX News and Facebook at the Quicken Loans Arena August 6, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The cable-news network had been under heavy fire from the Fiorina campaign and supporters who argued that the rules excluding her from the debate were unfair. Fiorina, who received a boost in poll numbers following her performance at the Fox News debate, contended that CNN's original criteria relied on outdated polling data which didn't take into account the political landscape shaped by the first debate.

Following growing pressure, CNN made the decision to now include any candidate who ranks in the top 10 in polls from August 7 and September 10.

"In the event that any candidate is polling in the top 10 in an average of approved national polls released between August 7th and September 10th, we will add those candidates to our top tier debate, even if those candidates did not poll in the top 10 in an average of approved national polls between July 16th and September 10th," CNN said in a statement. "We have discussed these changes with the Republican National Committee and the Reagan Library and they are fully supportive."

Sara Flores, deputy campaign manager for Fiorina, tweeted out a short statement welcoming the change.

The change was also approved by the Republican National Committee.

"I applaud CNN for recognizing the historic nature of this debate and fully support the network’s decision to amend their criteria," RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said.

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