Democrats announce new debate rules, likely to allow Michael Bloomberg on stage

The Democratic Party announced on Friday a new set of rules governing which presidential hopefuls are allowed to participate in debates, a shift that is likely to see billionaire media mogul Michael Bloomberg allowed on stage in February.

For a debate scheduled in Nevada on Feb. 19, the Democratic Party will drop a previous requirement that a candidate demonstrate grassroots support by collecting donations from thousands of donors.

Bloomberg is entirely self-funding his campaign, and while he has climbed in the polls, his lack of donors meant he continued to not qualify for debates.