Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wasn't on the stage when President Biden and Donald Trump debated in Atlanta on Thursday night—though given the very poor reviews of his performance, Biden might have welcomed the distraction. Instead, Kennedy was on the other side of the country, taking part in what his campaign called "The Real Debate." In what the New York Times describes as a "somewhat clunky format," Kennedy appeared on a stage in Los Angeles next to a screen showing the CNN debate.
After Biden and Trump answered questions, the feed was paused and Kennedy delivered his answer. The event was moderated by former ABC and Fox Business host John Stossel, who was strict about keeping Kennedy to the same two-minute limit Biden and Trump were kept to, the Times reports. Kennedy accused CNN of colluding with Democrats and Republicans to exclude him from the debate, reports the AP. "This is exactly the kind of merger of state and corporate power that I'm running to oppose," he said in his opening remarks.
He also criticized CNN for being the "biggest cheerleader" of restrictions during the pandemic. Unlike the candidates in Atlanta, Kennedy had an audience in the studio. In his responses to questions the CNN moderators asked Biden and Trump, he said Trump was "more right" than Biden on border security, CBS News reports. He also said he would "change the function of NATO so that it becomes an instrument of peace," per the Times. The AP reports that Kennedy has no events on his public schedule in the coming weeks, but his campaign says a "full schedule" for July will be announced next week. (More Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 2024 stories.)
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