RFK Jr. is on track to miss the CNN debate amid race to get on state ballots

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears set to fall short of qualifying for CNN’s presidential debate when the deadline passes this week, leaving the September ABC News debate as his big chance to join President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump onstage.

Kennedy hasn’t yet hit CNN’s polling threshold of 15% in at least four approved national polls, having gotten only three so far. But more critically, Kennedy is almost assured to fall short of the network’s ballot access criteria because securing access in enough states to win 270 electoral votes is a Herculean task for a nonmajor-party candidate at this early point in the election calendar. And on top of that, Kennedy’s campaign hasn’t been submitting its ballot access petitions at the pace needed to secure ballot lines ahead of the June 20 deadline — though it’s making clear strides toward qualifying by the next debate in the fall.

That means Kennedy is almost certain to be watching from the sidelines as Biden and Trump debate next Thursday, depriving the independent of earned media and a chance to elevate his long-shot campaign. Instead, Kennedy appears poised to leverage his omission to argue the campaign is rigged against political outsiders. His campaign has booked $100,000 in national TV advertising on the day of the debate.

Last month, Kennedy’s campaign filed a Federal Election Commission complaint against CNN and against Biden and Trump’s campaigns, alleging the way they set up the June 27 presidential debate was illegal. Stefanie Spear, press secretary for the campaign, said it is “considering” further legal action ahead of debate night.

Kennedy faces an uphill battle in order to gain ballot access in all 50 states ahead of