By EFE
Jun 20, 2024, 9:55 PM EDT
The independent candidate for the US Presidency, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., failed to qualify to participate in the presidential debate that will be held on CNN between the US president, Joe Biden, and the virtual Republican presidential candidate and former governor Donald Trump, by not complying with the requirements demanded by the channel.
Robert Kennedy Jr., nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, had until noon this Thursday, June 20, to meet the criteria required by CNN. Among them, appearing on a sufficient number of state ballots to reach the threshold of 270 electoral votes to win the Presidency and receiving at least 15% support in four national surveys, according to national media.
“My exclusion is undemocratic”
“Biden and Trump don’t want me on the debate stage, and CNN illegally agreed to their lawsuit. “My exclusion from the debate by Presidents Biden and Trump is undemocratic, un-American and cowardly,” she said in a statement, according to CBS News.
Although Kennedy Jr. has filed ballot access petitions in several states across the country, many of his requests are still being reviewed by state election offices.
The independent candidate’s campaign claims that CNN approached debate criteria differently for Kennedy than for Trump and Biden.
The debate will take place before the Democratic Party or the Republican Party hold their national conventions to make official the election of their nominees.
Although Kennedy Jr. has no chance of wresting the Presidency of the United States from Democrats or Republicans, his mere presence on the ballot can cause irreparable damage to one of the two major parties.
His campaign represents disruption to the elections
RFK Jr. acknowledged that his campaign represents a “disruption” to the elections and said he hopes his candidacy will “make Americans refuse to vote out of fear.”
The first electoral debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump will take place on June 27 in Atlanta, Georgia, and will be presented by journalists from the aforementioned network, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.
The debate, which is planned to be 90 minutes, will include two commercial breaks, as detailed last Saturday by CNN, and campaign staff will not be able to interact with their candidate during that time.
Your position tossed a coin
Both candidates have agreed to appear on identical podiums, and their positions on these will be determined by flipping a coin.
Among the parameters accepted by the Biden and Trump campaigns, it is established that the microphones will be closed throughout the debate except for the candidate whose turn it is to speak.
ABC will host the second and final presidential debate in September. Televised presidential debates have been part of American tradition in every election cycle since 1976.
Keep reading:
- Kennedy Jr. with almost no chance of participating in the debate with Biden and Trump on CNN
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr: the candidate of angry and tired Americans
- Biden and Trump accept debate rules on CNN on June 27 in Atlanta