After weeks of looking like he might meet the threshold for participating in the first presidential debate, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may not make the cut, reports The Hill:
“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is unlikely to stand on the first debate stage next week, a setback that could throw him off course in his race against President Biden and former President Trump.
“The independent candidate is determined to debate his Democratic and Republican rivals in Atlanta on June 27. But he’s running out of time to make the polling and delegate benchmarks that Biden and Trump have already surpassed before Thursday’s midnight deadline.
“Failing to meet the eligibility criteria would be the first big blow for the third-party candidate struggling to remain relevant in the 2024 race.
“‘Though not impossible in Kennedy’s case, it is less likely that candidates other than Biden and Trump will meet those requirements,’ CNN wrote in a memo over the weekend outlining logistics around opening statements and commercial breaks.
“CNN has not budged on their conditions. Candidates must still clear at least 15 percent of support in four polls and be viable on enough state ballots to earn 270 delegates to participate in the forum with moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.
“Noting the time constraints, the cable news network has all but counted out a last-minute appearance from Kennedy, who has alleged without evidence that the candidates and journalists have manipulated the rules against him.”
To read the entire The Hill article, click HERE.