The first presidential debate will be one on one…
According to reports from multiple media outlets, third-party candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did not meet the criteria needed to participate in the first presidential debate.
To qualify for the first debate, hosted by CNN, a candidate must “appear on a sufficient number of state ballots to reach the 270 electoral vote thresholds to win the presidency” and receive at least 15% in four qualifying national polls prior to the eligibility deadline, according to a press release.
From Independent Journal Review:
Kennedy had received at least 15% in three qualifying polls. He was also on the ballot in six states. This made him eligible for only 89 electoral college votes, according to CNN.
Kennedy filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission when he claimed CNN was making “prohibited corporate contributions” to the campaigns of his opponents — President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
Kennedy alleged doing so violated federal campaign finance law and negotiated with the two campaigns. This excluded him and other candidates, from the debate.
He asked that the FEC to keep CNN, Biden and Trump from holding the debate “until the parties have come into compliance with the Federal Election Campaign Act,” the complaint read.
The FEC would not fulfill RFK’s request.
RFK Jr. Fails to Meet Requirements for Presidential Debate https://t.co/R0wOpvxAxa
— IJR (@TheIJR) June 20, 2024
