Republican National Committee Defends 2016 Debate Plan

The Wall Street Journal op-ed comes amid complaints from candidates at risk of exclusion.

Balloons drop as Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Republican vice presidential candidate, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) take the stage after accepting the nomination during the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on August 30, 2012 in Tampa, Florida.
Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images

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By Ali Elkin

July 27, 2015 at 11:58 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

The Republican National Committee is on defense over the plan for the first two presidential primary debates, with a spokesman taking to the Wall Street Journal opinion page on Sunday to try to address critics.

The op-ed comes amid complaints from candidates at risk of exclusion from the forums based on media hosts' criteria, and as reality-TV star Donald Trump appears to have secured a place in the first debate to the chagrin of many Republicans.