Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated that former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden conspired to keep him out of the debates because they were scared he would defeat them if they faced off in a discussion.
Kennedy made the announcement on X on Wednesday morning, referencing the CNN and ABC News debates that CNN and Biden had planned for June 27 and September 10, respectively. Removing qualified candidates from the debating platform, he said, weakens democracy.
"Presidents Trump and Biden are working together to force the United States into a presidential contest that 70% of people say they do not want. They are attempting to keep me out of their argument because of fear that I may prevail. Kennedy said in the essay that "keeping qualified candidates off the debate stage undermines democracy."
Kennedy was unable to satisfy the requirements set out by CNN, thus he was not eligible for the debate that the network is conducting in Atlanta. Stefanie Spear, Kennedy's campaign press secretary, reportedly told NBC News that if Kennedy is eligible, he will gladly accept the offer to debate the other two candidates.
Additionally, ABC News said that Trump and Biden will debate one another in September on their network. Kennedy did not meet ABC's requirements to participate in the debate, which were similar to those of CNN.
The criteria for the debate, as set forth by ABC in its press release, indicate that "candidates must fulfill the requirements outlined in Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution of the United States; file a Statement of Candidacy with the Federal Election Commission; appear on a sufficient number of state ballots to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold to win the presidency prior to the eligibility deadline; agree to accept the rules and format of the debate; and receive at least 15% in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters that meet ABC's standards for reporting."
Kennedy had already met the prior standards that CNN has established. In two of the four qualifying surveys, he was criticizing the network's 15% polling criterion. Additionally, CNN said that the debater needed to be able to show up on enough state ballots to earn the 270 electoral votes required to win the president. As of this writing, Kennedy's campaign website's ballot tracker indicated that he would get a maximum of 187 electoral votes.
Kennedy made the announcement on X on Wednesday morning, referencing the CNN and ABC News debates that CNN and Biden had planned for June 27 and September 10, respectively. Removing qualified candidates from the debating platform, he said, weakens democracy.
"Presidents Trump and Biden are working together to force the United States into a presidential contest that 70% of people say they do not want. They are attempting to keep me out of their argument because of fear that I may prevail. Kennedy said in the essay that "keeping qualified candidates off the debate stage undermines democracy."
Kennedy was unable to satisfy the requirements set out by CNN, thus he was not eligible for the debate that the network is conducting in Atlanta. Stefanie Spear, Kennedy's campaign press secretary, reportedly told NBC News that if Kennedy is eligible, he will gladly accept the offer to debate the other two candidates.
Additionally, ABC News said that Trump and Biden will debate one another in September on their network. Kennedy did not meet ABC's requirements to participate in the debate, which were similar to those of CNN.
The criteria for the debate, as set forth by ABC in its press release, indicate that "candidates must fulfill the requirements outlined in Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution of the United States; file a Statement of Candidacy with the Federal Election Commission; appear on a sufficient number of state ballots to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold to win the presidency prior to the eligibility deadline; agree to accept the rules and format of the debate; and receive at least 15% in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters that meet ABC's standards for reporting."
Kennedy had already met the prior standards that CNN has established. In two of the four qualifying surveys, he was criticizing the network's 15% polling criterion. Additionally, CNN said that the debater needed to be able to show up on enough state ballots to earn the 270 electoral votes required to win the president. As of this writing, Kennedy's campaign website's ballot tracker indicated that he would get a maximum of 187 electoral votes.
