RFK Jr. Debates Himself After Being Left Out of the Main Event
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. failed to make the cut for CNN’s debate on Thursday night—so he planned to debate himself instead.
Libertarian former Fox Business host John Stossel announced Thursday evening that he would be “moderating” the alternate debate, which would be livestreamed on Elon Musk’s X platform. A big screen next to Kennedy would air the actual debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, and Kennedy would provide his own answers to the questions posed to Biden and Trump, Stossel said. As for the actual debating part of the alternate debate, Stossel didn’t say.
In a post on X, RFK Jr. said he expected the main event to be nothing more than “arguments, name calling, accusations, and culture war issues– but no debate on most of the subjects that matter to Americans.”
“That’s because Trump and Biden aren’t so different when it comes down to it. Both represent corporations, private equity firms, pharma, and the military-industrial complex - the interests of which determine what they can talk about,” he wrote. “The good news is that you can still see the three-man debate.”
Getting ready to moderate tonight's ALTERNATE presidential debate with @RobertKennedyJr.
Since CNN excluded Kennedy from their stage, you can watch him, (along with Biden and Trump) answer CNN’s and my questions tonight at 9pm ET streaming on X. pic.twitter.com/UeiUgJr1nT— John Stossel (@JohnStossel) June 27, 2024
RFK Jr.’s presidential campaign, a long-shot bid that nonetheless caused the Biden and Trump campaigns to panic about votes being siphoned, all but flamed out last week. He failed to make the CNN debate stage, reported a paltry $2.6 million in donations for May, and spent more than double what he raised.
In order to make the cut for CNN’s debate, candidates had to reach a threshold of at least 15 percent in four major national polls of registered or likely voters, and be on the ballot in enough states to have a shot at clinching the necessary 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the election in November.
RFK Jr. garnered the minimum level of support in three approved polls—CNN, Quinnipiac University, and Marquette Law—and will appear on the ballot in a mere nine states, which account for a total 139 electoral votes.
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