Rand Paul loses top staffer

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Elise Jordan, the top foreign policy aide to Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has left the Republican candidate's campaign.

Jordan has taken a job with NBC News and MSNBC as a political analyst. Jordan was a former aide in the President George W. Bush administration, as well as a former aide in the State Department.

"I think the world of Senator Paul and am so proud of how he changed the entire field's debate on criminal justice and foreign policy," Jordan said in an email to Politico.

Sergio Gor, a spokesman for Paul, did not respond to a request for comment.

The news comes less than 24 hours after Paul failed to qualify for the next GOP presidential debate on Thursday, held by the Fox Business Channel. Paul, who previously promised not to participate in an undercard debate, said he would spend the evening campaigning.