Robert Kennedy Jnr is ineligible to debate.

That means the June 27 debate will be between Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump, leaving Kennedy no chance to stand alongside the front-runners and convince potential supporters that he has a chance to win.

In a statement on June 20, Mr. Kennedy criticized his exclusion from the debate as "undemocratic."

Independent US presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jnr. Photo: AP

Under criteria set by CNN, candidates are invited to debates if they have at least 15% support in four national polls and appear on enough state ballots to reach the 270 electoral votes needed to win.

Biden and Trump have easily cleared the 270-vote threshold. Both have secured enough delegates to seal their nominations. Kennedy’s campaign also said he has met the requirements to appear on the ballot in 22 states, for a total of 310 electoral votes, although not all have confirmed his name will be listed.

However, CNN said Mr. Kennedy had failed to meet 15% support in four reliable national polls before June 20.

Last month, Mr. Kennedy filed a complaint accusing CNN of colluding with Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump to exclude him from the June 27 debate, alleging that the eligibility requirements were designed to ensure only Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump could meet them. CNN said the complaint was unfounded.

Last month, Biden and Trump agreed to face off in two debates. One will take place on June 27, moderated by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash at CNN headquarters in Atlanta. The other, on September 10, will be hosted by ABC.

After the coin toss, Biden's campaign chose a podium on the right side of the viewer's screen, with Trump on the left, CNN reported. Both sides agreed to appear on the podium and the microphones would be muted unless it was the candidate's turn to speak.

Ngoc Anh (according to CNN, AP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/bau-cu-my-2024-ong-robert-kennedy-jnr-khong-du-dieu-kien-tham-gia-tranh-luan-post300190.html