Fox lowers poll threshold for presidential debate

Fox News has opened the debate door to all Republican candidates polling at least 1 percent.

Fox News has opened up one of its planned Aug. 6 presidential debate floor to any candidate that polls at least 1 percent, a last-minute and quiet change that lets in the likes of former business executive Carly Fiorina and Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Prior, only those polling in the top 10 would be invited to the on-stage event.

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Former New York Gov. George Pataki also faced a lock-out from the debate, Politico reported.

The announcement comes by way of Fox News executive vice president of news, Michael Clemente, and means all 16 Republican presidential hopefuls will be able to qualify for either the Cleveland debates at either the 5 p.m. or 9 p.m. events, Politico said. The 9 p.m. one, however, will only include the top 10 polling candidates.

“Due to the overwhelming interest in the FOX News Facebook Debate Event Night on August 6th and in a concerted effort to include and accommodate the now 16 Republican candidate field – the largest in modern political history – FOX News is expanding participation in the 5 PM/ET debate to all declared candidates whose names are consistently being offered to respondents in major national polls, as recognized by Fox News,” Clemente said in a statement.

Currently, those in the top ten include billionaire businessman Donald Trump, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Sen. Marco Rubio, Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Rand Paul, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former neurosurgeon Ben Carson, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Those who would be put on the 5 p.m. show, if it were held under today’s polling conditions, include Ohio Gov. John Kasich, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, as well as Fiorina, Pataki and Graham.

The 5 p.m. debate will last an hour and be moderated by Bill Hemmer and Marthan MacCallum. The 9 p.m. debate is slated to run two hours, and be moderated by Bret Baier, Megyn Kelly and Chris Wallace.

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