RFK Jr claims Trump and Biden are trying to keep him out of debates

Kennedy said he was being purposely left out of the debates, which he claims would be between two candidates that most of the country does not want.

By Misty Severi

Published: May 15, 2024 5:27pm

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accused former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden on Wednesday of trying to keep him off the debate stage, after both candidates agreed to two debates ahead of November's general election.

Trump and Biden both agreed on Wednesday to participate in two presidential debates outside of the traditional debates hosted by the non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates. The first will be hosted by CNN on June 27, and the second will take place Sept. 10, and will be hosted by ABC News.

Kennedy said he was being purposely left out of the debates, which he claims would be between two candidates that most of the country does not want. He also asserted that the November election was the best time to move the country out of a "two-party" system.

"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. Keeping viable candidates off the debate stage undermines democracy," Kennedy said in a post to X. "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."

The new debates come after Trump's campaign fought back against dates proposed by the debate commission, which he claimed came too late in the election cycle. Kennedy is considered a long-shot third party candidate, but is a big enough threat that he could serve as a spoiler for both parties.

Trump and Biden have both stated that they would not participate in the debates outlined by the commission, with Biden's team claiming the model used in the debates are outdated, and would take place too late in the process, Politico reported.

The comments come after Kennedy challenged Trump to a debate at the Libertarian National Convention, which takes in Washington, D.C., next week. Trump has not accepted nor declined the invitation. Both candidates will be speaking at the Libertarian convention, with Trump scheduled to speak on May 25, and Kennedy will speak on May 24.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.