Tulsi Gabbard: CNN Gave No Explanation for Excluding Me from Upcoming Town Hall

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) prepares to do a television interview on Capitol Hill on January
Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images
Hannah Knudsen

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) on Tuesday said she has received “no explanation” from CNN as to why she was excluded from the network’s upcoming town halls taking place ahead of New Hampshire’s February 11 primary.

The presidential hopeful told Fox News she has yet to receive a response explaining why she was excluded from the network’s upcoming town hall in New Hampshire, which is slated to take place at Saint Anselm College on February 5 and 6.

“We have reached out, I think, more than once, and we received no explanation,” Gabbard said.

“I don’t even think we’ve gotten a response to date about why they’re excluding the first female combat veteran ever to run for president, the only woman of color in the race,” she continued.

“We’re still waiting for an answer. It’s really a disservice to voters in New Hampshire and across the country to not allow them the opportunity to hear from myself included with the other candidates as we head into election day,” she added:

Joe Biden (D), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Andrew Yang (D), Pete Buttigieg (D), Tom Steyer (D), and Deval Patrick (D) are expected to participate in the two-day town hall event. Notably, Gabbard is polling higher than Patrick in New Hampshire and on a national scale.

Moreover, Wednesday’s RealClearPolitics average showed Gabbard polling higher than both Yang and Steyer in the Granite State.

CNN’s town hall was originally scheduled to take place this week at Drake University ahead of the February 3 Iowa caucuses, but the network rescheduled due to the ongoing Senate impeachment trial, which would have made it difficult for Warren, Sanders, and Klobuchar to participate.

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