Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accused President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump of collusion to exclude him from upcoming debates. Biden and Trump agreed to participate in presidential debates hosted by CNN on June 27 and ABC News on Sept. 10. However, Kennedy expressed frustration over not meeting CNN’s criteria for participation in the Atlanta debate, but indicated his willingness to join if he qualifies.
Kennedy claimed that Biden and Trump’s collaboration aimed to enforce a head-to-head matchup, ignoring the desires of 70% of Americans who allegedly do not want it. He asserted that his exclusion from the debate was due to fear that he would win, accusing the presidents of undermining democracy.
Although Kennedy met CNN’s 15% polling threshold in two qualifying polls, the network added additional requirements related to appearing on a sufficient number of state ballots to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold. ABC News set similar criteria for its debate, mirroring guidelines from the Commission on Presidential Debates.
Kennedy’s campaign strategy includes delaying the submission of signatures in some states to avoid scrutiny from the Democratic National Committee. Despite this tactic, Kennedy’s team claims to have gathered enough signatures to potentially qualify for 187 electoral votes based on states where they have submitted petitions.
