RFK Jr. Claims That CNN Deliberately Excluded Him From The Trump-Biden Presidential Debate

Robert F. Kennedy ’s team claimed that CNN ‘colluded’ with the Biden and Trump campaign teams to exclude the 70-year-old from the presidential debate by using “criteria designed to favor certain pre-selected candidates.” The two presumptive major party nominees are set to meet in person at the network’s Atlanta headquarters, later this month, on June 27.

The complaint also referenced a May 17 Washington Post report, stating that the Biden team had discussions with CNN about excluding RFK Jr. from the event. In a letter on campaign letterhead, it is argued that CNN’s debate criteria violate the Federal Election Campaign Act. In response, CNN pointed to its established eligibility thresholds, which mandate that a candidate must be “on a sufficient number of state ballots to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold to win the presidency before the eligibility deadline” and must achieve “at least 15% in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters that meet CNN’s standards for reporting.”

According to Politico , the press release about the letter stated, “The complaint establishes that because CNN is illegally demanding that Kennedy meet different criteria to participate than Presidents Biden and Trump, its debate is a largely prohibited campaign contribution to Biden and Trump.” Kennedy currently asserts that he has gathered enough signatures to appear on the ballot in 15 states, which collectively award 229 electoral votes. However, the ballot access process is still underway, and many signatures have yet to be officially verified. Additionally, Kennedy is averaging 12% support in polls, according to RealClearPolitics , falling short of the 15% threshold.

A letter from Biden campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon explicitly advocated for a head-to-head debate. This isn’t the first instance in this election cycle where Biden or Trump have been accused of manipulating rules to their advantage. Biden reshuffled the Democratic primary calendar, moving South Carolina to the first position, a move seen by some as a strategy to deter potential primary challengers. In contrast, Trump’s affiliations with various state parties led to alterations in delegate allocation during the GOP primary, giving him an advantage in early-voting states such as Nevada and Michigan.

“The mere application for ballot access does not guarantee that he will appear on the ballot in any state. In addition, RFK, Jr. does not currently meet our polling criteria, which, like the other objective criteria, were set before issuing invitations to the debate,” the CNN spokesperson explained. The two planned debates between Biden and Trump will not be overseen by the Commission on Presidential Debates, which traditionally coordinates the events between campaigns and the networks that broadcast them. Consequently, the first debate will occur several months earlier than the initially scheduled debates by the commission.