--- title: Rand Paul Makes CNN Debate Stage After Network Skirts Rules description: Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul qualified for the main stage at Tuesday's GOP debate in Las Vegas after a public lobbying campaign canonical: https://time.com/4146979/rand-paul-cnn-debate/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-12-13T18:15:10.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:47:59.040Z article:section: Politics og:title: Rand Paul Makes CNN Debate Stage After Network Skirts Rules og:description: The network says he's "showing viability" og:url: https://time.com/4146979/rand-paul-cnn-debate/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf05a7fa2b920271e/69887527a988ca87566b5b66/rand-paul1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: rand-paul og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Rand Paul Makes CNN Debate Stage After Network Skirts Rules twitter:description: The network says he's "showing viability" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf05a7fa2b920271e/69887527a988ca87566b5b66/rand-paul1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Rand Paul Makes CNN Debate Stage After Network Skirts Rules > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: 2016 FOX GOP DEBATE: Paul and Rubio Spar Over Military Spending [Watch (HLS stream): 2016 FOX GOP DEBATE: Paul and Rubio Spar Over Military Spending](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/eyPaYIoy.m3u8) (0:48)  _Published 2015-11-11. Watch Rand Paul and Marco Rubio Spar over Military Spending_ by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Dec 13, 2015 6:15 PM UTC  Rand Paul speaks at George Washington University Nov. 19, 2015 in Washington, DC. Rand Paul speaks at George Washington University Nov. 19, 2015 in Washington, DC. Alex Wong—Getty Images by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Dec 13, 2015 6:15 PM UTC Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul qualified for the main stage at Tuesday’s GOP debate in Las Vegas after a public lobbying campaign, CNN [announced](http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/13/politics/republican-debate-gop-stage/index.html) Sunday, avoiding a potentially fatal blow to his campaign. The libertarian lawmaker has struggled in the polls and among donors, and seen his support erode even further amid renewed concerns over the threat of terrorism following the Paris and San Bernardino attacks. In recent days, as it became clear Paul was unlikely to make the debate stage, his campaign began a social media push to call on the network to change its rules to allow his participation, just as the network did for former HP CEO Carly Fiorina before its September debate. In the end, the network announced that Paul would be allowed to participate in the main stage, stating Paul was “showing viability” by polling at 5% in a Fox News Iowa poll released Sunday morning, but it did not explain—as it did in the case of Fiorina—how it let Paul, whose polling average considered by the network is below the required 4% in the state, on stage. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is surging in New Hampshire, earned a spot in the 9 p.m. EST debate once again, after being relegated to the undercard contest in last month’s debate in Milwaukee. Tuesday’s debate is the first to consider early state polling in addition to national support. To make the main stage, the network required candidates to either average 3.5% in approved nationwide surveys or 4% in Iowa or New Hampshire. Donald Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Dr. Ben Carson, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio were the only ones to qualify based on their national support, while Fiorina, Christie, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich made the stage with their numbers in New Hampshire. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and former New York Gov. George Pataki will participate in the undercard debate, which starts at 6:30 p.m. EST. ## Transcript Marco, how is it conservative? How is it conservative to add a trillion dollar expenditure for the federal government that you're not paying for. [ CROSSTALK ] Because. Are you talking about the military, Rand? How is it conservative to add a trillion dollars in military expenditures? You cannot be a conservative if you're gonna keep promoting new programs that you're not gonna pay for. We cannot even have an economy if we're not safe. There are radical jihadists in the Middle East beheading people and crucifying Christians. A radical Shia cleric in Iran trying to get a nuclear weapon. The Chinese taking over the South China Sea. Can you be for unlimited military spending and say oh I'm going to make the country safe. No we need a safe country. But you know we spend more On our military than the next ten countries combined? I want a strong national defense, but I don't want us to be bankrupt. 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