In a whirlwind few hours, President Biden and former President Trump have upended the traditional presidential debates — and moved to box out RFK Jr.
Biden’s campaign announcedthis morning it wouldn’t take part in fall debates by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. It offered one-on-one debates with Trump in June and September, with no studio audience and microphones that could be cut.
Trump immediately accepted, telling Salem Media radio host Hugh Hewitt he’ll debate with any moderator.
Biden and Trump accepted a CNN invite for a debate on June 27, the two candidates said this morning. That’s before either party has its national convention to officially pick presidential nominees.
The Trump campaign then proposed extra debates in July and August.
RFK Jr. then accused the two campaignsof “colluding” against his campaign to “avoid discussion of their eight years of mutual failure.”
Trump and Biden thenaccepted invites from ABC News for a debate on Sept. 10.
The campaigns have agreed to no audience for the CNN debate, but they’re still negotiating on how to handle cutting off microphones.
The Trump and Biden campaigns recently held back-channel conversations about cutting the commission out of the process, the Washington Post reports.
RFK Jr. had a real chance at making the presidential debate stage for the traditional fall debates, but could be cut out by the moved-up timelines of the new contests.
CNN’s rules say a candidate needs four polls at 15% and they have to be on the ballot in enough states to secure 270 electoral votes.
Kennedy recently scored one poll at 16%, CNN’s Harry Enten pointed out earlier this week.
Kennedy is on the ballot in four states, with ongoing efforts in 38 more.
