Gabbard says she’s received no reason from CNN for lack of invitation to town halls

Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) says she’s received no explanation or response from CNN regarding not being invited to a series of town halls the network is hosting in New Hampshire days before a crucial primary there in February.

Gabbard is currently polling at 4.8 percent in the RealClearPolitics index of polls in New Hampshire, ahead of tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang, businessman Tom Steyer and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.

Yang, Steyer and Patrick, along with former Vice President Joe Biden, former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) all received invites to participate in the two-night event.

“We have reached out, I think, more than once, and we received no explanation,” Gabbard told Fox News on Tuesday.

“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 added. 

Asked about not being invited to the @CNN town halls next week in NH, @TulsiGabbard tells @foxnewspolitics “we received no explanation. 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” #FITN pic.twitter.com/njxusUoXWt

— Paul Steinhauser (@steinhauserNH1) January 28, 2020

CNN announced last Friday it will host eight Democratic presidential town halls over a two-night period from New Hampshire ahead of the party’s first primary slated for Feb. 11. The network format has candidates appearing back-to-back on Feb. 5 and 6 at Saint Anselm College.

The full lineup will feature Biden, Warren, Yang and Steyer on Feb. 5, and Sanders, Buttigieg, Klobuchar and Patrick on Feb. 6.

The Hill has reached out to CNN for comment.