What Third-Party Candidates Are Doing During Debate

Chantelle Lee

27 June 2024 at 9:40 pm·3-min read

A screen-grab shows Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as he participates in his own debate, called “The Real Debate”, that streamed alongside the CNN debate. Credit -

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are slated to duke it out at the CNN debate on Thursday night, but there are still four other candidates vying for the presidential office in 2024. Despite the two front-runners being the only candidates to qualify for the televised face-off, these other candidates have plans of their own for debate night.

Here’s what they intend to do.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The independent presidential candidate didn’t meet the threshold for both state ballot qualification and necessary polling that were required to be eligible to participate in the debate in Atlanta. On Tuesday, he announced that he will participate in his own debate, called “The Real Debate” that will stream live on X and TheRealDebate.com at the same time as the CNN debate—9 p.m. ET. Kennedy plans to answer the same debate questions that Biden and Trump will be asked during the CNN debate and is the only candidate to be holding a debate at the same time as the CNN event. Former FOX host John Stossel, now host and creator of Stossel TV and a self-proclaimed Libertarian, will moderate Kennedy’s debate.

“I’m going to be on that debate stage with or without their permission,” Kennedy said in his video announcement.

Kennedy will also be on NewsNation directly after his debate “to answer questions and respond to the Biden-Trump debate.” NewsNation said it also plans to livestream Kennedy’s debate responses online.

According to the NPR/PBS News/Marist College poll released June 18, Kennedy receives the support of 11% of registered voters nationally in a multi-candidate field.

Jill Stein

The Green Party presidential candidate will be live-tweeting the Biden-Trump debate once it starts. At 10:30 p.m. ET—or whenever the CNN debate ends—Stein will stream a live response to the debate on her Facebook, X, and YouTube accounts.

“CNN and the Biden and Trump campaigns locked Jill out of this sham ‘debate,’ but they can’t silence her voice for people, planet, and peace,” Stein’s campaign said in a press release.

According to the NPR/PBS News/Marist College poll, Stein receives the support of 1% of registered voters nationally in a multi-candidate field.

Cornel West

The independent presidential candidate will join theGrio for a post-debate analysis, part of its “Black America Must Vote” specials, at 10:30 p.m. ET.

According to the NPR/PBS News/Marist College poll, West receives the support of 3% of registered voters nationally in a multi-candidate field.

Chase Oliver

The Libertarian presidential candidate will also be live-tweeting the Biden-Trump debate once it starts, and then plans to do media interviews after the debate ends.
According to the NPR/PBS News/Marist College poll, Oliver receives the support of 1% of registered voters nationally in a multi-candidate field.

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