A new poll shows a majority of U.S. voters don't want leading presidential candidates like independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to debate major party candidates like President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. We hope to share the stage of the meeting.
Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, and Trump, who has received the nod of the Republican Party, are likely to face each other again in November. But Mr. Kennedy has enough support to get on the ballot in several key battleground states.
Mr. Kennedy, the son of former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy (both assassinated in the 1960s), has become famous in recent years for his vocal opposition to vaccines. He is now a lawyer. Kennedy initially planned to challenge Biden for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination, but became an independent in October 2023. Kennedy announced in March that he had chosen Nicole Shanahan, a California-based lawyer and entrepreneur, as his running mate.
While critics dismiss Mr. Kennedy's campaign as potentially spoiling the race, leading political analysts argue that Mr. Kennedy's influence could go both ways. A prominent political scientist recently said: Newsweek “It could take just as many votes away from Mr. Trump as it takes away votes from Mr. Biden,” Kennedy said.
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A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll released Monday asked respondents whether the presidential debates “should include a third-party or independent candidate who clears a viable threshold, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.”
The vast majority answered “yes.”
The survey was conducted online on Wednesday and Thursday and surveyed 1,660 registered voters. It found that 71% of Americans think presidential debates “should include independent or third-party candidates.”
newsweek Representatives for Biden, Trump and Kennedy were contacted for comment via email on Monday.
Last week, Biden and Trump agreed to two debates as the rivals prepare for an almost certain rematch in the 2020 campaign in November. The first event will be hosted by CNN and scheduled for June 27th in Atlanta, Georgia. The second one is scheduled for September 10th, hosted by ABC.
It is unclear whether Mr. Kennedy will join Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump in any of the upcoming live television debates.
To qualify for the June debate, a candidate's name must appear on enough state ballots to reach the electoral threshold of 270 by June 20, according to CNN. Must have been. Eligible candidates must also have received at least 15 percent in four separate national polls in which they are registered or registered. They are likely to be voters who meet CNN's “reporting standards.”
In a post on do not have.
“I am pleased to report that I have met the criteria to participate in the @CNN debate by the June 20 deadline,” Kennedy wrote. “I look forward to holding President Biden and President Trump to account on the record in Atlanta on June 27th and providing the American people with the debate they deserve.”
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom, finding common ground and finding connections.
