Seven in 10 voters in a new poll want to see third-party and independent candidates in presidential debates this cycle as President Biden and former President Trump prepare to go head-to-head.
The latest Harvard CAPS/Harris poll found 79 percent of voters want Biden and Trump to debate, while 71 percent think those debates should include candidates from outside the major parties if they clear a viable threshold — with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. listed as an example of one such candidate.
“Americans always want to hear it all and test their candidates. Voters want to see debates and would welcome Kennedy to the debate as well,” said Mark Penn, the co-director of the Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll.
After months of speculation about whether a debate would occur, Biden and Trump — who are headed toward a rematch of their 2020 race this fall — agreed last week to two presidential debates, slated for June on CNN and September on ABC.
Kennedy railed against being left out of the debate conversation, arguing Trump and Biden are “colluding to lock America into a head-to-head match-up.”