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Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has failed to meet the criteria for participation in CNN's upcoming debate on June 27, leaving President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump as the sole contenders on the Atlanta stage. This development marks a significant setback for Kennedy's campaign and solidifies the debate as a head-to-head confrontation between the two major party frontrunners.
CNN established stringent qualification requirements for the debate, mandating that candidates secure ballot access in states totaling at least 270 electoral votes and achieve 15% support in four qualifying national polls by June 20. Despite Kennedy's claims of meeting the ballot access threshold in 22 states, CNN reported that he had only confirmed placement in six states, amounting to 89 electoral votes. Additionally, Kennedy fell short in the polling requirement, reaching the 15% mark in just three of the necessary four surveys.
The exclusion prompted a strong response from Kennedy, who labeled it "undemocratic, un-American, and cowardly." His campaign had previously filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, alleging that CNN was making prohibited corporate contributions to the Biden and Trump campaigns by negotiating debate terms that effectively excluded other candidates.
With Kennedy's absence, the debate will proceed as a direct confrontation between Biden and Trump. The candidates have agreed to appear at podiums, with Biden positioned on the right side of viewers' screens and Trump on the left, as determined by a coin toss. Microphones will be muted except when it is a candidate's turn to speak, and Trump's campaign has opted for him to deliver the closing statement after Biden.
This debate, along with a second scheduled for September 10 hosted by ABC, represents a departure from the traditional format organized by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. The decision by both campaigns to bypass the commission and negotiate directly with networks has raised questions about the future of presidential debate organization.
Kennedy's exclusion from this high-profile event underscores the challenges faced by independent and third-party candidates in gaining national visibility and legitimacy. The upcoming debate now stands as a critical juncture in the 2024 presidential race, offering voters a direct comparison between the incumbent president and his predecessor as they vie for the nation's highest office.
