Martin O'Malley might not be a part of the next Democratic debate on Jan. 17 because he might not meet the qualification criteria, NBC announced Friday -- a move the former Maryland governor said was being handled "as if it's another episode of The Apprentice."

"Bad enough that we would be limited to only four debates and that they would hide them on Saturdays behind football games," the former Maryland governor said, reported NBC News. "But now they tell us that they can't really manage, perhaps, a three-way race. Well, I've got news for them. This election is not up to NBC executives, not up to pollsters, it's up to you, the people of Iowa." 

“We’re a strong enough party that we can accommodate a debate with more than two candidates," O'Malley added.

That's a sharp contrast from the Republican field, which has featured in its debates eight or nine candidates in addition to an "undercard" debate for lower polling candidates. 

"To qualify, candidates must reach an average of 5 percent either nationally or in Iowa, New Hampshire, or South Carolina in the five most recent polls recognized by NBC News published before January 14, 2016," the NBC criteria reads. However, O'Malley has struggled in polling, as RealClear Politics averages show that O'Malley is only at 3.8 percent, nationally. In New Hampshite, he is at 2.4 percent, but he is at 6.3 percent in Iowa. However, it is not clear if all those polls meet the NBC requirements. 

For their part, the camps of the two leading Democratic candidates see the potential O'Malley absence as unfair and exclusionary. 

"We believe all three candidates should be allowed to participate in the South Carolina debate, and would oppose any debate criteria that might leave someone excluded," Brian Fallon, a spokesman for the Hillary Clinton campaign, told The Wall Street Journal. 

More bluntly, Bernie Sanders tweeted:

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