RFK Inches Closer To Gaining Access To First Presidential Debate Stage

Independent presidential candidate, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has taken a step closer to qualifying for the first US presidential debate taking place on June 27 on CNN.

• According to data from Decision Desk HQ, Kennedy has gained ballot access in enough states to reach 270 electoral votes - the minimum required to win the presidency and a benchmark set by CNN to make the debate state.
• Kennedy will also need to hit 15% vote share in four reliable nationwide polls published since March 13. ABC reports he has crossed that benchmark in three eligible polls.
• RFK is widely tipped as a potential spoiler in November, but it is currently unclear if he is likely to drain more votes from President Biden or former President Trump. A prevailing view is that RFK's anti-establishment leanings are likely to siphon more votes from Trump, but that logic is more muddied in critical Sun Belt swing states where RFK is polling strongly with hispanic voters.
• USA Today notes: "In a head-to-head matchup, Biden's leading Trump among swing-state Latinos by a robust 59% to 39%. This is within striking distance of his 2020 election results...
• USA adds: "But these numbers don’t tell the whole story. When our survey expands the field to include third-party candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Cornel West and Jill Stein, Biden’s support among Latino voters plummets to just 47%, with Trump falling slightly to 34% and Kennedy taking 12%."