Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. argued that he’s the only one who qualifies for the first presidential debate because he’s the only actual candidate.
Mr. Kennedy told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo that his campaign has been in discussion with CNN to get on the debate stage on June 27.
Mr. Kennedy argues that among President Biden, former President Donald Trump and himself, he is the only one who qualifies for the debate based on CNN’s standards and because he doesn’t need a party nomination.
“They are the presumptive nominees for their party, but they themselves are not on the ballot and I will be the only one on the ballot,” he said.
He also says he qualifies for the debate under the national poll requirement, which says a candidate must receive at least 15% support in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters that meets CNN’s standards.
Mr. Kennedy says his campaign has gotten enough signatures to qualify for 201 potential electoral votes and by the end of the month that number will be 340.
Mr. Kennedy, a Democrat-turned-independent, has been trying to get on the presidential ballot in all 50 states. His campaign has said it is officially on the ballot in Utah, Michigan, California, Delaware, Oklahoma and Texas, and has collected enough signatures in New Hampshire, Nevada, Hawaii, North Carolina, Idaho, Nebraska, Iowa and Ohio.
When asked why he thinks the two other candidates have tried to keep him off the debate stage, Mr. Kennedy said he thinks neither Mr. Trump nor Mr. Biden wants to talk about issues they’re uncomfortable with.
He argued that Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden have “ran up the biggest deficit in history that’s now driving the inflationary cycle in this country.”
He also blamed both of them for political division in the country.
“They are the ones who are feeding the toxic polarization that is tearing our country apart. Both of these candidates say that they want to end the polarization but they have no way to do that,” he said. “They are actually feeding into it. They are the product of that polarization. If we’re going to save our country, we need to start looking at each other as Americans again. And stop hating on each other.”
Mr. Trump has said he doesn’t have a problem with Mr. Kennedy being on the debate stage as long as he qualifies.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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