It's official: Gary Johnson didn't qualify for the debate stage

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last updated 16 September 2016

Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson will not take the stage for the first presidential debate, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced Friday. Only Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton will appear at the Sept. 26 showdown, as Green Party candidate Jill Stein also fell short of the CPD's qualification threshold. To make the debate stage, Johnson and Stein needed to average 15 percent support across five specific polls chosen by the CPD; as of Friday, Johnson's average was just 8.4 percent, while Stein's was 3.2 percent.

The first debate between Trump and Clinton will take place at Hofstra University in New York and will be moderated by NBC anchor Lester Holt. Vice presidential nominees Mike Pence and Tim Kaine will meet at the Oct. 4 vice presidential debate. Ahead of the final two presidential debates — Oct. 9 in St. Louis and Oct. 19 in Las Vegas — Johnson and Stein will once again be evaluated and if they meet the 15 percent threshold, will be permitted to participate.