Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is upset about being left out of debates between former President Donald Trump and President Biden, claiming that the two are colluding to exclude him because they are afraid he would win. Kennedy believes that keeping viable candidates off the debate stage undermines democracy, especially since 43% of Americans identify as independents. Despite not meeting the 15% threshold in national polls required by CNN, Kennedy is averaging 10.8% in the latest RealClearPolitics aggregate of polling.
Biden’s campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon argued that debate time should not be squandered on candidates with no realistic chance of becoming president. However, CNN announced that candidates must receive at least 15% in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters to qualify for the debates. Kennedy, who is just shy of meeting this threshold, believes that now is the time for Americans to break away from the two-party system as both Biden and Trump are historically unpopular. He accuses the two presidents of wanting to avoid discussing their mutual failures by excluding him from the debates.
Biden taunted Trump in a video posted to social media, challenging him to a debate after Trump previously skipped all 2024 GOP debates. Kennedy’s vice presidential pick, Nicole Shanahan, expressed confidence that Kennedy would win against the two “troubled Presidents” in a debate. Biden’s team requested that the debate be limited to the candidates and a moderator, with no live microphones when candidates are not speaking to prevent interruptions. Trump quickly accepted Biden’s challenge and the subsequent invitation from CNN for a debate in Atlanta, Georgia on June 27, bypassing the CPD’s planned fall debates.
Kennedy is critical of Biden and Trump’s attempts to exclude him from the debates and believes that they are trying to avoid discussing their past failures. He believes that the exclusion of viable candidates undermines democracy and perpetuates the two-party system that many Americans are looking to move away from. Despite not meeting the polling threshold set by CNN, Kennedy remains determined to bring his message to the public during the upcoming debates. With Trump, Biden, and Kennedy set to face off in Atlanta, Georgia, it remains to be seen how the two presidents and the independent candidate will navigate the dynamics of the debate stage and address the pressing issues facing the country.
