Team Kennedy
June 28, 2024
PRESS CONTACT: Stefanie Spear

Americans Agree: Kennedy Won Presidential Debate

LOS ANGELES, CA—JUNE 28, 2024—Last night, the Kennedy campaign gave Americans the debate they deserved, a debate with the three top presidential candidates — Trump, Biden, and Kennedy.

The Real Debate, powered by X and already viewed by more than 9 million people, was broadcast from a studio in Los Angeles with a live audience of more than 200 people. It aired at the same time as the CNN debate but The Real Debate included Kennedy answering the questions too, moderated by renowned journalist John Stossel.

The response from viewers was tremendous. From “After that, I declare this man my president” to “Kennedy is the only one who is capable of cleaning things up for our nation” to “This guy is the only choice,” the internet and airways were buzzing with praise for Kennedy’s performance during last night’s debate.

During his opening remarks, Kennedy explained how his exclusion from the CNN debate stage has been widely decried as an act of collusion between two establishment parties terrified of being held to their records and a cable news channel willing to compromise journalistic integrity to secure a multi-million dollar payday.

Kennedy said, The Real Debate “is important for our democracy because Americans feel like the system is rigged. This is exactly the kind of merger of state and corporate power that I’m running to oppose.” 

During his closing remarks, Kennedy said:

“Day one in office, I'm going to issue an executive order saying any federal official who tells a lie to the American public will lose his job. I'm going to stop the surveillance state. I'm going to stop the propagandizing by our agencies of the American public. I'm going to unravel the war machine. I'm going to unravel the corrupt merger of state and corporate power.

“If you want everything to change, you'll support me. If you want to vote out of fear, you need to support one of those guys. If you want to vote out of hope, out of inspiration, out of pride in your country, out of restoring the moral backbone of our people and our nation, you should vote for me.”

In response to last night’s CNN debate, Kennedy said:

“We have 341 million people in this country and to think those are the best two candidates the political parties can come up with is depressing.

“Last night was a disaster for President Biden. I think people saw how frail he was and even the hardcore Democrats have lost faith that he can even win the election or more importantly, that he can run the country. He seemed very confused.

“It’s scary to think that he’s going to get the call at 3 in the morning, maybe, that we all dread, and he has 6 minutes to make a decision that will affect the lives of everybody on this planet.”

It’s important to note that CNN’s debate broke historical precedent. It was the:

• first time in American history that a general election debate has been owned and controlled by a for-profit corporation.
• first time since the inaugural presidential debate in 1960 between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon where not a single voter will be present at the presidential debate.
• earliest in a presidential election year in history and the first time prior to the DNC and RNC nominating conventions.
• first presidential debate since 1988 that the Commission on Presidential Debates has not sponsored.
• first-ever debate between a sitting president and a former president.
  matchup of the two oldest candidates in U.S. history.

Learn more at Kennedy24.com. Visit our press page here.


Team Kennedy
June 27, 2024

Kennedy Campaign to Give Americans the Debate They Deserve, Moderated by John Stossel

LOS ANGELES, CA—JUNE 27, 2024—The Kennedy campaign is restoring the rights of American voters to see the presidential debate as it is supposed to be — Biden, Trump, Kennedy — and to decide for themselves which candidate will best serve them over the coming four years. Since 71% of Americans want to see Kennedy on the debate stage, the campaign will give them what they want at TheRealDebate.com.

WHAT: The Real Debate Moderating by John Stossel

WHEN: Thursday, June 27 at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET

WHERE: XR Studio, 1017 N Las Palmas Ave, Los Angeles CA 90038

LIVESTREAM: The Real Debate is powered by X, and will be streamed on the TheRealDebate.com and on Mr. Kennedy's X account.

With six qualifying polls and confirmed ballot access in more states than either of his competitors, Independent Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. meets all published participation criteria. His exclusion from the CNN debate stage has been widely decried as an act of collusion between two establishment parties terrified of being held to their records and a cable news channel willing to compromise journalistic integrity to secure a multi-million dollar payday.

CNN’s debate breaks historical precedent since it will be the:

• first time in American history that a general election debate has been owned and controlled by a for-profit corporation.
• first time since the inaugural presidential debate in 1960 between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon where not a single voter will be present at the presidential debate.
• earliest in a presidential election year in history and the first time prior to the DNC and RNC nominating conventions.
• first presidential debate since 1988 that the Commission on Presidential Debates has not sponsored.
• first-ever debate between a sitting president and a former president.
• a matchup of the two oldest candidates in U.S. history.

“The American people want leaders who trust them to make up their own minds,” Kennedy said. “Instead, our last two presidents are restricting voters from choosing anyone other than themselves. Presidents Biden and Trump have sucked trillions of dollars from the pockets of working people and Americans deserve to hear from the one candidate who can hold them to account.”

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American Values 2024
June 21, 2024

NEW YORK, June 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Although Kennedy has gathered enough signatures to surpass the requirement laid out in CNN's debate criteria, CNN announced today that it would not allow Kennedy to participate in the debate with former president Trump and President Biden, scheduled for June 27, 2024.

However, earlier this month, the FEC acknowledged the problem with CNN's legal debate criteria. It noted that CNN calling Biden and Trump the "presumptive nominees" of their respective parties, and stating that they "will be allowed ballot access" once they are nominated, is "not in the FEC's debate regulation."

Per CNN's subjective guidelines, it is impossible for any candidate to qualify for the debate until late August or early September as many states do not certify their signatures and/or have not even opened the windows for signatures to be filed. Additionally, Trump and Biden will not be on any ballots until their conventions in July and August, when they officially get nominated to achieve the requirement of 270 electoral votes.

According to several official complaints to the FEC filed by the Kennedy campaign, as well as the Center for Competitive Democracy and More Voter Choice Fund over CNN's adoption of the debate criteria, "CNN has structured this debate in violation of the Federal Election Commission's debate regulations, 11 C.F.R. § 110.13, by failing to use pre-established, objective criteria, and in using political party affiliation of Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump to qualify them for the debate automatically, despite neither appearing on any state ballot before June 20, 2024 – the deadline that CNN set for candidates to qualify."

In response, AV24 super PAC Co-Founder Tony Lyons says, "This arrogant violation of FEC guidelines strikes yet another blow at the very heart of democracy. The DNC and the RNC, which claim to want to defend democracy against each other, are actually working together to destroy it through their blatant disregard for the rule of law. I believe that the American people will rebel against the uniparty oligarchy in November. In overwhelming numbers they want change and the out-of-the-box thinking that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. offers."

Subsequently, today AV24 released a short film titled "Power of Three" which highlights the importance of a third voice, a third choice, a third candidate. The film, which can be viewed here, says in voice-over narration, "Two is a black and white world. But three. Three brings in all the colors." It continues, "There is a rising tide of independent voters sweeping the nation. Right now more than any time in history, there are more Independents in America than those that claim to be either Democrat or Republican."

The short film ends with a call for the public to allow Kennedy to debate, inviting them to sign a petition at www.timetodebate.com.

About American Values 2024 (AV24)

American Values 2024 (AV24) is a super PAC committed to educating and mobilizing voters to elect candidates who will restore and protect the soul of democracy in the United States. Our long-term vision is to build a movement starting at the local level to create a national groundswell to address the critical issues our country faces. Today, AV24 supports Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s presidential campaign. AV24 is co-founded by Mark Gorton (Chairman of Tower Research Capital) and Tony Lyons (President of Skyhorse Publishing).

Media Contact:
Lindsay Stevens

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Team Kennedy
June 20, 2024

Kennedy Exclusion From CNN Debate Stage Is ‘Undemocratic, UnAmerican, and Cowardly’

WASHINGTON, DC—JUNE 20, 2024—CNN today announced the June 27 debate in Atlanta will be a head-to-head with Presidents Biden and Trump, excluding Kennedy from the stage. This decision is a clear violation of federal law.

“Presidents Biden and Trump do not want me on the debate stage and CNN illegally agreed to their demand,” said Independent Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “My exclusion by Presidents Biden and Trump from the debate is undemocratic, un-American, and cowardly. Americans want an independent leader who will break apart the two-party duopoly. They want a President who will heal the divide, restore the middle class, unwind the war machine, and end the chronic disease epidemic.”

“If the American people could hear what all three candidates had to say about the critical issues facing our country, the choice between these three men would be clear,” said Former Governor of Rhode Island Lincoln Chafee. “Kennedy would become the 47th President of the United States.”

As previously reported, Kennedy filed an FEC complaint arguing CNN, Biden, and Trump flagrantly violated a federal law requirement that media broadcasters use “pre-established” and “objective” criteria to determine candidate participation. Failure to use objective criteria renders the debate a campaign contribution, subject to strict donation limits.

CNN’s published debate criteria require that “a candidate's name must appear on a sufficient number of state ballots to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold.” CNN is holding Kennedy to this requirement but is not requiring Presidents Biden and Trump to meet this requirement by claiming they are each the “presumptive nominee” of a political party.

CNN has persisted in this approach even after FEC made clear the phrase “presumptive nominee” is “not in the FEC’s debate regulation,” and therefore it cannot exempt CNN from the prohibition on excessive campaign contributions. As the Commission on Presidential Debates explains, “Until the conventions take place, we don’t know who the official nominees will be.”

This means CNN, and every member of CNN who is participating in planning, executing, and holding this debate, is at risk of prosecution, as happened to Michael Cohen, for violating campaign finance laws. This risk is now acute given that any further violation would be knowing and willful, and thus could carry with it serious jail time.

CNN and its staff are on clear notice, especially given the damning evidence that the Biden campaign has openly demanded Kennedy be excluded from the debates and Trump received assurances from CNN that Kennedy would be excluded.

To come into compliance, CNN must apply its criteria objectively. Presidents Biden and Trump have not yet been nominated by their parties and their names are not certified to appear on a single state ballot. Kennedy, in contrast, has been certified to appear on the ballot of numerous states, including California, Delaware, Hawaii, Michigan, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah.

Objectively applying CNN’s criteria requires, at a minimum, that it admit Kennedy into the debate as he is the candidate who is furthest along in complying with CNN’s debate criteria.

If the debate goes forward without Mr. Kennedy, the Kennedy campaign intends to pursue this issue for as long as it takes to obtain justice against these illegal acts, if for no other reason than to ensure this type of undemocratic and un-American conduct does not occur again in the future.

Learn more at Kennedy24.com. Visit our press page here.

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Team Kennedy
June 18, 2024

FEC Refuses to Grant Early Dismissal of Complaint Against CNN for Illegally Excluding Kennedy From Presidential Debate

WASHINGTON, DC—JUNE 18, 2024—Last week, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) made a public statement regarding CNN’s presidential debate making it even more clear CNN will violate federal law absent the inclusion of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the debate stage on June 27 in Atlanta.

On the heels of that announcement, the Kennedy campaign requested that if the FEC was going to dismiss its complaint alleging CNN, and Presidents Biden and Trump violated federal campaign finance laws, the FEC do so immediately and no later than last Friday, June 14. Until the complaint is dismissed or 120 days have passed since the complaint was filed, Kennedy cannot bring a lawsuit.

The FEC responded it would not dismiss the complaint as requested. One implication is that the FEC believes the complaint has merit, as indicated by its public statement that there is no such thing as a “presumptive nominee” for the purposes of exempting the debate from being an illegal campaign contribution from CNN to Biden and Trump’s campaigns. CNN, Biden, and Trump’s responses to the complaint are due to the FEC this week. 

As previously reported, Kennedy filed an FEC complaint alleging CNN, Biden, and Trump flagrantly violated the Federal Election Campaign Act requirement that media broadcasters use “pre-established” and “objective” criteria to determine candidate participation. Failure to use objective criteria renders the debate a campaign contribution, subject to strict donation limits.

CNN’s published debate criteria require that “a candidate's name must appear on a sufficient number of state ballots to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold.” CNN is holding Kennedy to this requirement but is not requiring Presidents Biden and Trump to meet this requirement by claiming they are the “presumptive nominee” of a political party.

The FEC has now made clear the phrase “presumptive nominee” is “not in the FEC’s debate regulation,” and therefore it cannot exempt CNN from the prohibition on excessive campaign contributions. As the Commission on Presidential Debates explains, “Until the conventions take place, we don’t know who the official nominees will be.”

This means that CNN, and every member of CNN who is participating in planning, executing, and holding this debate, is at risk of prosecution, as happened to Michael Cohen, for violating campaign finance laws. This risk is now acute given that any further violation would be knowing and willful, and thus could carry with it serious jail time.

CNN and its staff are on clear notice, especially given the damning evidence that the Biden campaign has openly demanded Kennedy be excluded from the debates and Trump received assurances from CNN that Kennedy would be excluded.

Now, with FEC’s recent statement, it appears beyond doubt the debate will, absent Kennedy’s participation, violate campaign finance laws and that CNN and its staff are knowingly and willfully violating these laws. As explained in the FEC complaint, “By demanding our campaign meet different criteria to participate in the debate than Presidents Biden and Trump, CNN’s debate violates FEC law and is a large prohibited corporate contribution to both the Biden and Trump campaigns.”

This is why Kennedy has asked the FEC to, among other things, “enjoin the Parties from holding the presidential debate scheduled for June 27, 2024 until the Parties have come into compliance with the Federal Election Campaign Act.” Short of that, Kennedy has asked that it dismiss the complaint sooner rather than later so he has an opportunity to obtain judicial review of the FEC’s actions related to the complaint.

To come into compliance, CNN must apply its criteria objectively. Presidents Biden and Trump have not yet been nominated by their parties and their names are not certified to appear on a single state ballot. Kennedy, in contrast, has been certified to appear on the ballot of numerous states, including California, Delaware, Hawaii, Michigan, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and Mississippi.

Objectively applying CNN’s criteria requires, at a minimum, that it admit Kennedy into the debate as he is the candidate who is furthest along in complying with CNN’s debate criteria.

Learn more at Kennedy24.com. Visit our press page here.

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Team Kennedy
May 29, 2024

Kennedy Files Complaint Alleging CNN, Trump and Biden Engaged in Flagrant Violation of FEC Debate Laws

NEW YORK, NY—MAY 29, 2024—The Kennedy campaign Tuesday filed a Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaint alleging CNN, President Biden, President Trump, and their campaigns engaged in flagrant violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA). The complaint establishes that because CNN is illegally demanding that Kennedy meet different criteria to participate than Presidents Biden and Trump, its debate is a large prohibited campaign contribution to Biden and Trump.

FEC law requires media broadcasters to use “pre-established” and “objective” criteria to determine which candidates are admitted to a debate. Broadcasters like CNN are not permitted to pre-select the candidates who may participate. Debate hosts are also not allowed to “use nomination by a particular political party as the sole objective criterion to determine whether to include a candidate in a debate.”

According to the complaint, the Parties engaged in blatant violations of the FECA when “CNN colluded with the Biden Committee and the Trump Committee to schedule and did schedule a debate with criteria that were designed to result in the selection of certain pre-chosen participants, namely Biden and Trump, in a clear breach of federal campaign finance law.”

The Biden campaign has openly demanded that Kennedy be excluded from the debates. The Washington Post reported Trump received assurances from CNN that Kennedy would be excluded.

It is thus clear “CNN is making prohibited corporate contributions to both campaigns and the Biden Committee and the Trump Committee have accepted these prohibited corporate contributions,” reads the complaint.

Kennedy asks the FEC to “find reason to believe that the Parties have violated the Federal Election Campaign Act” and to, among other things, “enjoin the Parties from holding the presidential debate scheduled for June 27, 2024 until the Parties have come into compliance with the Federal Election Campaign Act.”

According to CNN’s qualification criteria, “a candidate’s name must appear on a sufficient number of state ballots to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold to win the presidency” by the qualification deadline of June 20. The candidates must also receive at least 15% in four national polls sponsored by 1 of at least 12 selected pollsters of registered or likely voters.

To date, the campaign has submitted the necessary signatures to the respective Secretary of State offices in nine states — California, Delaware, Hawaii, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah — adding up to 171 electoral votes, which increases weekly.

Kennedy is eligible for more electoral votes than both Presidents Biden and Trump combined since they have not yet been officially nominated by their parties and their ballot access is not certified in any state, making them eligible for zero electoral votes. CNN is admitting presidents Biden and Trump to the debate without requiring that they satisfy the electoral vote criteria while insisting Kennedy must satisfy it. That violates the requirement that debate criteria be “pre-established” and “objective.”

In meetings between CNN and the Kennedy campaign, the broadcaster reiterated its double standard on the electoral criteria. It also refused to deny that it developed qualifying criteria before determining candidates.

“By demanding our campaign meet different criteria to participate in the debate than Presidents Biden and Trump, CNN’s debate violates FEC law and is a large prohibited corporate contribution to both the Biden and Trump campaigns,” said Kennedy.

Kennedy also has three of the four national polls needed to satisfy CNN’s rules for its upcoming debate in Atlanta, Georgia. Last week, a Marquette Law School Poll of registered voters put RFK Jr. at 17%. Kennedy already had two qualifying polls in April, a CNN poll at 16% and a Quinnipiac poll at 16%.

The campaign’s aggressive ballot access plan will ensure the Kennedy-Shanahan ticket is on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The ballot access plan is fully funded with more than $15 million raised.

On May 1, the Kennedy campaign released results from a Zogby poll showing Kennedy beats both Presidents Biden and Trump in head-to-head matchups. Kennedy is the first independent ever to defeat both major party candidates in head-to-head matchups.

Learn more at Kennedy24.com. Visit our press page here.

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COMPLAINT