Robert F. Kennedy Jr. failed to qualify for the CNN debate, leaving a Biden-Trump showdown
USA TodayJun 25
RFK Jr., Jill Stein Excluded From First US Presidential Debate
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The Facts
CNN announced on Thursday that Donald Trump and Pres. Joe Biden are the only candidates to meet the constitutional, ballot, and polling qualifications for the upcoming US presidential debate on June 27.
Candidates must qualify for enough ballots to meet the "270 electoral vote threshold" necessary to win the presidency and receive at least 15% in four separate national polls in order to qualify, CNN announced in May.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
CNN’s criteria for debate participation, by its very nature, is designed to prevent alternative voices from being heard and reduce choice for the American people. The media is colluding with the Republicans and Democrats to exclude third-party and independent voices in order to ensure that only Joe Biden and Donald Trump have a realistic chance of success. Most Americans want to hear from outside of the two-party system.
Pro-establishment narrative
CNN’s criteria for candidates to participate in the first presidential debate are objective and were set before it issued invitations to the candidates. If candidates who don’t satisfy the debate participation requirements were allowed to participate, the democratic process could actually be undermined by reducing the amount of time that those who have a realistic prospect of success have to speak.
