Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and former Hewlett-Packard executive Carly Fiorina failed to make the cut for Fox Business' upcoming prime time GOP debate, the network announced Monday.

Paul and Fiorina did not meet the network's criteria for participating in Thursday's main debate, and are instead invited to participate in a 6 p.m. ET debate with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

Paul, however, said he will not participate in the undercard debate.

"I'll be taking my campaign directly to New Hampshire and Iowa. I'm not going to be in South Carolina," Paul said during an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "I think it's a mistake to try to exclude me from the national debate."

Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Jeb Bush and John Kasich will participate in the main event at 9 p.m. ET.

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