Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to provide voters with alternative programming on Thursday when he streams a “Real Debate” from a studio in Los Angeles.
After failing to qualify for the first presidential debate featuring President Biden and former President Donald Trump in Atlanta, Mr. Kennedy has decided to get creative.
“Over 70% of Americans want a different choice than Presidents Biden and or Trump — they are tired of voting for the lesser of two evils,” Mr. Kennedy said in a video statement promoting TheRealDebate.com. “Presidents Trump and Biden colluded with CNN to block me from representing your voices. But I am not going to let them silence us.”
Mr. Kennedy said he plans to answer the same questions that Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump field from moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.
“I am going to be on that debate stage with or without their permission,” he said.
Mr. Kennedy’s dark horse bid has rattled both the Trump and Biden campaigns, which have tried to cast him aside as a conspiracy theorist and far-left wack job.
But he is on the ballot in Michigan and making headway in other battleground states.
His campaign says he has collected the signatures needed to appear on the ballot in Nevada and Pennsylvania, adding a layer of uncertainty in the swing states.
Frustrated about being left off the debate stage, Mr. Kennedy filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission in May alleging that CNN’s debate setup constituted an illegal campaign contribution to Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump.
On Wednesday, Mr. Kennedy said he also has a beef with the fact that there will not be any voters inside the debate room and that the debate is the first since 1988 that has not been sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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