CNN said its ‘not impossible’ for independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to qualify.
CNN has announced new details of its finalized rules for the first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle, which will see a rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
The network revealed on June 15 that the debate will last 90 minutes and will include two commercial breaks during which the candidates will not be able to interact with their respective campaign staff.
No pre-written notes or props will be allowed, but the candidates will have a pen and paper so they can take notes during the debate.
The candidates will appear at a uniform podium, with a coin flip to determine their podium positions.
There will be no studio audience for the debate, which will be held in Atlanta on June 27.
The debate will be moderated by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, who the network said “will use all tools at their disposal to enforce timing and ensure a civilized discussion.”
‘Not Impossible’ for RFK Jr. to Qualify
CNN also said that a condition for participation in the debate is that the candidates must obtain at least a 15 percent share in four separate national polls from a list provided by the network. They also must appear on a sufficient number of state ballots to be able to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold needed for a candidate to win the race for the White House.
The network said it’s “not impossible” for independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to meet these conditions, given that he has met the 15 percent threshold in three qualifying polls and, per CNN, is on the ballot in six states, making him eligible for 89 electoral votes.
Mr. Kennedy’s campaign said in a June 14 statement that he is on the ballot in eight states and has collected enough signatures needed for ballot access in a total of 22 states, which would total 538 electoral votes.
Still, CNN said that it appears “less likely” that anyone other than President Biden and President Trump will satisfy its conditions, setting the stage for a repeat of the 2020 showdown between the two men.
By Tom Ozimek
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