Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he will meet the criteria to participate in the debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden hosted by CNN on June 27th.

“I’m happy to report that I will meet the criteria to participate in the @CNN debate before the June 20 deadline. I look forward to holding Presidents Biden and Trump accountable for their records in Atlanta on June 27 to give Americans the debate they deserve,” RFK Jr. said.

CNN hosts Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate the first 2024 presidential debate.

Donald Trump Accepts Joe Biden’s Debate Offer, Two Dates Scheduled

Donald Trump and Joe Biden currently are scheduled to participate in a second debate hosted by ABC News on September 10th.

The former Democrat accused Trump and Biden of ‘colluding’ to exclude him from the debate stage.

NBC News reports:

Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump were “colluding” to exclude him from the debates they agreed to participate in on Wednesday.

Biden and Trump said Wednesday that they had accepted invitations for presidential debates hosted by CNN on June 27 and ABC News on Sept. 10.

Kennedy would not currently qualify for the CNN debate in Atlanta based on the criteria the network laid out. Stefanie Spear, press secretary for the Kennedy campaign, told NBC News that Kennedy would accept an invitation from CNN to debate Biden and Trump if he qualifies.

“Presidents Trump and Biden are colluding to lock America into a head-to-head match-up that 70% say they do not want. They are trying to exclude me from their debate because they are afraid I would win,” RFK Jr. said.

“Forty-three percent of Americans identify as independents. If Americans are ever going to escape the hammerlock of the two-party system, now is the time to do it. These are the two most unpopular candidates in living memory. By excluding me from the stage, Presidents Biden and Trump seek to avoid discussion of their eight years of mutual failure including deficits, wars, lockdowns, chronic disease, and inflation,” he continued.

However, President Trump said he would have “no problem” with RFK Jr. joining the debate stage.

“Crooked Joe Biden does not want RFK Jr. in the debates because Junior’ is far left him and they would be debating over the same territory, like ridiculous Open Borders and the Green New Scam, both of which are killing our Country. He’s also sharper and far more intelligent than Joe, all making for a bad combination of ingredients,” Trump said on Truth Social.

“I don’t care if Junios’ joins the Debate, but right now his polling numbers are very low, he is not properly qualified in the States, and he seems to be on a downward path. Junior’ needs more than his name to get on the ‘stage!'” he added.

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From The Hill:

Former President Trump said he would have “no problem” with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. joining the presidential debate stage with President Biden, if the independent candidate meets the threshold to participate.

“I would have no problem if he got whatever the threshold is,” Trump said in an interview Thursday with Scripps News.

“But he’s very low and seems to be heading in the other direction, in the wrong direction,” Trump continued.

Trump and President Biden announced Wednesday they have agreed to participate in two head-to-head presidential debates, one hosted by CNN on June 27 and another hosted by ABC on Sept. 10.

CNN announced that in order to participate, candidates must meet a set of requirements, including having their names appear on enough ballots to theoretically reach the 270 electoral vote threshold to win the presidency. Candidates must also receive at least 15 percent support in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters that meet CNN’s specified standards.

Polling eligibility opened March 13 and closes seven days before the date of the debate.

Earlier Thursday, Trump accused President Biden of not wanting Kennedy to participate in the debate, noting they share some policy views.

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