Larry Elder, a GOP presidential aspirant, announced on Tuesday his intentions to file a lawsuit against the Republican National Committee (RNC) after they excluded him from the inaugural 2024 presidential debate set for Wednesday.
Elder aired his grievances both in an official statement and on X, which was previously known as Twitter. He labeled the move as “manipulated.”
The statement read, “A full committee discussion and vote on the skewed polling metrics established by the anti-conservative, anti-Trump RNC leadership is what I am advocating for.”
Elder, who is renowned as a conservative analyst and radio show presenter, remarked, “We were unaware of the extent of manipulation” – pointing out that he was sidelined because he presented polling data from the conservative Rasmussen Reports.
“It was only post the submission of our qualifying documents that the RNC conveyed their refusal to recognize Rasmussen Polls for the debate,” Elder articulated.
He went on to specify that the RNC’s justification was the association Rasmussen Polls has with ex-President Donald Trump, who isn’t even participating in the impending debate.
Elder’s statement critically noted, “If the RNC had alerted other campaigns about this concern, we might have sought alternative qualifying polls. Unfortunately, they didn’t give us that chance, fully knowing the issue with the poll.”
Still, Elder firmly declared, “I will relentlessly pursue a place on that debate podium, as I’ve satisfied all necessary criteria.”
Detailing his eligibility, Elder listed out milestones, proving he not only met but surpassed the necessary standards. This includes gathering over 40,000 distinct donors, securing a minimum of 1% in selected polls, endorsing the “Beat Biden” loyalty pledge in support of the eventual GOP nominee, and consenting to reveal fundraising amounts to the RNC.
Elder disclosed his campaign’s move towards “mounting a legal offensive against the ambiguous regulations governing the polls that determine debate eligibility.”
He highlighted that this wasn’t his inaugural legal battle “to ensure democratic participation.”
The statement reminded readers that Elder triumphed in securing a spot in the recent California Recall ballot after a legal skirmish.
Elder was scheduled to address the media in Milwaukee later on Tuesday.
In a related development, the Miami Herald disclosed that Mayor Francis Suarez, who initiated his presidential campaign in June, also failed to meet the RNC’s benchmarks for the Milwaukee debate on Wednesday.
Despite Mayor Suarez, the lone Hispanic GOP contender, announcing his qualification based on the RNC’s donor and polling standards on Friday, RNC representatives later clarified that Suarez hadn’t met the criteria.
Following this, an official declaration on Monday confirmed that Suarez didn’t meet the RNC’s standard.
While Suarez has expressed in the past that candidates not reaching the debate should bow out, there was no formal announcement from his campaign by Tuesday morning, as reported by the news agency.
