Cory Booker Shreds Dem Leaders Over ‘Ridiculous’ Debate Criteria: Iowans Are Being ‘Dictated to’ By the DNC

Presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) is sounding off on Democratic leadership for what he deems to be “ridiculous” criteria to qualify for the party’s debates.

The Democratic National Committee is requiring candidates to reach five percent in four polls or 7 percent two early-state polls, plus 225,000 unique donors in order to make the next debate on Jan. 14 in Iowa. However, there haven’t been any qualifying early-state polls in nearly two months.

Appearing on MSNBC Thursday, Booker lamented the absence of early-state polls, and the metrics chosen by the DNC in general.

“It’s kind of ridiculous that these are the measures we’re putting up,” Booker said. “Instead of Iowans choosing, they’re being dictated to by Washington, D.C. DNC leaders.”

Party leaders have maintained that they need to shrink the field so that the more serious candidates won’t be drowned out by fringe candidates. Booker is on board with that philosophy in general, but not with the methodology chosen by the DNC — which is likely to leave him on the outside looking in.

“I absolutely agree, we should narrow the field,” Booker said. “But not to do it in a way that benefits billionaires, and not, unequivocally, one of strongest campaigns going on in Iowa right now … to not let us on the stage in a debate in Iowa makes no sense whatsoever.”

Booker missed December’s debate in California while billionaire Tom Steyer qualified. However, neither Steyer, nor Mike Bloomberg — the other billionaire in the race — are on track to make the stage in January. As of now, only former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), former South Bend, IN Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) have qualified for the January event.

Watch above, via MSNBC.