Benzinga - by Hayden Buckfire, .
While Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy is polling in the double digits, a rarity for third-party candidates, he still has major ground to cover if he wants to compete with President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in November.
In a post on Elon Musk‘s X on Tuesday, Kennedy proposed a presidential debate on the platform, deviating from the current debate schedule.
What Happened: Musk posted on X that Kennedy should be allowed to participate in a debate between Biden and Trump. Third-party candidates traditionally aren’t included in debates.
In response, Kennedy asked Musk, “Will you host one?”
Musk replied, “Sure.”
“X is where the debate should be. The new public square with 100x the audience of CNN. @realDonaldTrump, I know you've got the guts to do it. Do you want to call @POTUS or should I?” Kennedy said.
Why it Matters: The first presidential general election debate was in 1960, between Kennedy’s uncle John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon. Notably, the debate was televised.
The current presidential debate schedule for 2024 includes a June debate on the Warner Bros Discovery Inc (NASDAQ:WBD) subsidiary CNN and a September debate on the Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS) subsidiary ABC, according to Ballotpedia. In the past, debates have also been held on Comcast Corp (NASDAQ:CMCSA) subsidiary NBC and Fox Corp (NASDAQ:FOXA).
A debate on X would sidestep decades of televised debate precedence.
Political events have been broadcast on X in the past. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced his bid for the 2024 election on X. The event was poorly received due to connectivity issues, glitches and delays. DeSantis has since dropped out of the race.
Also Read: Majority Of Americans Fear Political Violence After 2024 Biden-Trump Rematch: Poll
Image generated using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.