(COLUMBIA, SC) – Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. failed to qualify for next week’s debate in Atlanta, according to host network CNN, falling short of benchmarks for both state and state election qualification. for the necessary research.
The missing markers mean the June 27 matchup will be exclusively between Democratic President Joe Biden and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump. This denies Kennedy a unique opportunity to stand alongside the leading candidates in an attempt to lend legitimacy to his long-shot candidacy and convince potential supporters that he has a chance of winning.
Both the Biden and Trump campaigns fear that Kennedy could be a spoiler in what is predicted to be a close general election.
According to the criteria defined by CNN, candidates would be invited to participate in the debate if they had guaranteed a place at the polls in states that totaled at least 270 votes in the Electoral College, the minimum necessary to win the presidency.
See more information: These are the rules of the CNN presidential debate
Biden and Trump easily surpassed the voting threshold, but will not be certified for the vote until their parties formally nominate them later this summer. Both secured enough delegates to secure their nominations.
Kennedy’s campaign says he met the requirements to appear on the ballot in 22 states, with a combined total of 310 electoral votes, although not all have said his name will be listed. California, the biggest prize on the electoral map with 54 votes, will not certify any candidate until August 29th.
Candidates were also required to meet a 15% polling threshold in four credible national polls by June 20, another metric that CNN said Kennedy failed to meet. According to the network, Kennedy has received at least 15% in three qualifying polls so far and is currently on the ballot in six states, making him currently eligible for 89 Electoral College votes.
See more information: When will the 2024 presidential debates be?
Last month, Kennedy filed an election complaint alleging that CNN is colluding with Biden and Trump to exclude him from the June 27 debate, alleging that participation requirements were designed to ensure that only Biden and Trump would qualify, and alleging that he is being held in a higher position. standard.
CNN said the complaint is without merit. Kennedy’s campaign did not immediately respond to a message Thursday seeking comment on the CNN ad and asking whether he planned to take any further action on its deletion.
Last month, Biden and Trump agreed to the CNN debate and a second one on September 10 hosted by ABC, bypassing the nonpartisan commission that has organized debates for nearly four decades.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
