Robert F. Kennedy Jr. does not meet requirements for debate with Biden and Trump

Biden and Trump are getting ready to face off in the first debate of 2024, but independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy won’t be joining them on stage. The debate, set to be hosted by CNN next week in Atlanta on June 27, will feature President Biden and former President Trump. Kennedy had until Thursday at 12:00:01 a.m. ET to meet the debate requirements set by CNN.

According to CNN’s criteria, a candidate must be on a sufficient number of state ballots to be eligible to win 270 electoral votes, which are needed to secure the presidency. Kennedy is currently on the ballot in five states – Utah, Michigan, Delaware, Oklahoma, and Tennessee – totaling 42 electoral votes. Additionally, he is on the ballot in California as the nominee of the American Independent Party and in Hawaii on his We the People ticket, bringing his potential electoral vote count to 100.

Despite submitting petitions for ballot access in several states, some of Kennedy’s applications are still pending review by state election offices. Candidates were also required to meet a polling threshold of 15% in four major national polls by June 20. Kennedy fell short of this requirement, with only three qualifying national polls, as reported by CNN.

In May, Kennedy’s campaign lodged a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, alleging that CNN, President Biden, Trump, and their campaigns had violated federal election law. The campaign claimed that CNN applied the debate criteria differently for Kennedy compared to Trump and Biden, who are the presumptive nominees of their respective parties. Notably, the debate is scheduled to take place before the Democratic Party or the Republican Party formalize their nominees through conventions.

Kennedy’s campaign argues that the debate constitutes an illegal campaign contribution to both Biden and Trump, citing the differing criteria imposed on their participation. Kennedy expressed his concerns regarding CNN’s debate, stating, “By demanding our campaign to meet different criteria to participate in the debate than Presidents Biden and Trump, CNN’s debate violates FEC law and is a large prohibited corporate contribution to both the Biden and Trump campaigns.”

As the stage is set for the first debate of 2024, the absence of Robert F. Kennedy from the lineup adds an intriguing twist to the upcoming event. With President Biden and former President Trump gearing up to clash on the debate stage, all eyes will be on their exchange of ideas and visions for the future of the nation.