(NewsNation) — Robert F. Kennedy Junior, excluded from the CNN debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, will be an exclusive guest on NewsNation after Thursday night’s event.
Kennedy plans to answer questions and respond to the Biden-Trump debate in a livestream during the debate, to be carried by X. He’ll then join NewsNation’s post-debate coverage.
“Over 70% of Americans want a different choice than Presidents Biden or Trump,” Kennedy said in a video he posted on X. “They’re tired of voting for the lesser of two evils.”
Kennedy hasn’t qualified on enough state ballots to win the 270 electoral votes needed for victory. That was CNN’s requirement for any debate participant. Only Biden and Trump met that requirement.
Last month, Kennedy’s campaign filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, accusing CNN of setting requirements to intentionally exclude him from the debate.
As of today, Kennedy could only win about 100 electoral votes. He is on the ballot as an independent in five states, is the nominee of the American Independent Party in California, and is the nominee of his own We the People party in Hawaii.
Kennedy’s supporters continue attempts to get him on the ballot in other states, but the effort has been met with setbacks and opposition.
On Wednesday, North Carolina’s board of elections voted to keep both Kennedy and two other candidates off the ballot. The board said it wants more time to review their petition signatures.
Mississippi’s Secretary of State said Tuesday that Kennedy’s effort to get on that state’s ballot at the nominee of the We the People Party is not yet complete, as the party has yet to file all the necessary paperwork to get on the ballot.
A New Jersey man has filed suit to keep Kennedy off the Garden State’s ballot, citing the state’s “sore loser law.” It bars candidates who sought a nomination with a party to file an independent bid. Kennedy originally sought the Democratic Party nomination.