Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did not meet the qualifications to participate in the first debate of the election cycle, as reported on Thursday. To be eligible for the CNN-hosted debate, candidates must secure at least 15% support in four national polls and be on the ballot in enough states to potentially gather the 270 electoral college votes needed to win the election.
Despite being the top-performing 2024 candidate outside the Republican and Democratic parties, Kennedy fell short of meeting the requirements by the deadline on Thursday morning. He only achieved the necessary 15% support in three national polls, according to CNN's news release.
CNN also revealed that Kennedy had not qualified for the ballot in adequate states to reach the 270 electoral college votes threshold. Kennedy criticized CNN's debate standards, alleging that the entry criteria were unfairly applied to him to maintain a one-on-one debate format.
The 90-minute debate is set to occur on June 27 in Atlanta, marking the first in-person showdown between Biden and Trump since the 2020 cycle. CNN disclosed that there would be two commercial breaks during the debate, and candidates are prohibited from conferring with their campaign members during those intervals.
Furthermore, CNN outlined that candidates' podiums and positions would be determined by a coin toss, their microphones would be muted when not speaking, and they would only be provided with a pen, a notepad, and a bottle of water. Candidates are not permitted to bring props or prepared notes to the debate.
