Voters Want RFK Jr. in Presidential Debate, Poll Finds

A majority of American voters want long-shot presidential candidates, such as independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to share the debate stage with major party nominees President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, according to a new poll.

Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, and Trump, who clinched the Republican Party’s nod, are set for a likely rematch in November. Kennedy, though, has garnered enough support to be on the ballot in several key battleground states.

Kennedy, son of former Senator Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy—who were both assassinated in the 1960s—is an attorney who rose to prominence in recent years for his vocal stance against vaccines. He originally sought to challenge Biden for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination before switching to an independent in October 2023. Kennedy announced in March that he selected Nicole Shanahan, a California-based attorney and entrepreneur, as his running mate.

While critics dismiss Kennedy’s campaign as a potential spoiler in the race, leading political analysts argue his impact could be dual-sided. A prominent political scientist recently told Newsweek that Kennedy “has as much potential to take away votes from Trump as he does from Biden.”

The Harvard CAPS/Harris survey released on Monday asked respondents whether presidential debates should “include third-party or independent candidates that clear a viable threshold, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., or not?”

The vast majority said yes.

The survey was conducted online Wednesday and Thursday, polling 1,660 registered voters. It found that 71 percent of Americans think the presidential debates “should include independent or third-party candidates.”

Newsweek reached out via email on Monday to representatives for Biden, Trump and Kennedy for comment.

Last week, Biden and Trump agreed to a pair of debates as the rivals prepare for an all-but-assured rematch of their 2020 race in November. The first will be hosted by CNN, scheduled for June 27 in Atlanta, Georgia. The second is slated for September 10, hosted by ABC.

It is unclear whether Kennedy will join Biden and Trump for either of the coming televised live debates.

CNN said to qualify for the June debate, a candidate’s name must appear on a sufficient number of state ballots to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold before June 20. Eligible candidates must also have received at least 15 percent in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters that meet CNN’s “standards for reporting.”

While Kennedy claimed in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that he would qualify for the CNN presidential debate on June 27, the network hasn’t announced that he is included as a participant.

“I’m happy to report that I will meet the criteria to participate in the @CNN debate before the June 20 deadline,” Kennedy wrote. “I look forward to holding Presidents Biden and Trump accountable for their records in Atlanta on June 27 to give Americans the debate they deserve.”