RFK Jr. Challenges Trump to Debate at Libertarian National Convention

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who contemplated running for president as a Libertarian before opting to remain an independent, challenged former President Donald Trump to debate him at the party’s national convention later this month.

The Libertarian Party will host its national convention from May 23 to May 25 in Washington.

Mr. Kennedy is scheduled to speak on May 24 while President Trump is slated to make his address on May 25.

In an open letter on X, formerly Twitter, Mr. Kennedy referenced a poll released last week by Zogby Strategies that showed he would defeat the former president, 270–268, in Electoral College votes in a head-to-head matchup.

Mr. Kennedy also mentioned CNN and Quinnipiac surveys that indicated he stood above the 15 percent minimum to gain a presence on stage in the presidential debates.

President Trump would decisively beat President Biden, 294–244, in a head-to-head race, the poll illustrated.

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The study, which included more than 26,000 likely voters in 50 states, reported that Mr. Kennedy would rout President Biden, 367–171.

In the letter, Mr. Kennedy said that former President Trump supporters are now supporting him because “they are upset that you blew up the deficit, shut down their businesses during Covid, and filled your administration with swamp creatures.”

Mr. Kennedy added that the Libertarian convention is “perfect neutral territory” for a debate between the two candidates.

President Trump’s campaign did not respond to Mr. Kennedy’s post, but the former president has said the independent is “a radical left lunatic” and “the dumbest member of the Kennedy clan.”

Casting a ballot for Mr. Kennedy would be a “wasted protest vote,” President Trump has claimed.

Last year, when Mr. Kennedy was challenging President Biden for the Democratic nomination, President Trump said: “He’s a very smart person. I know a lot of the members of that family, and he’s a very smart guy.

“And he’s hit a little bit of a nerve. And a lot of Democrats I know want to vote for him.”

Last month, President Trump called Mr. Kennedy “the most radical left candidate in the race” and added: “I happen to like him.”

Before lamenting, “Unfortunately, he is about the Green New Scam because he believes in that and a lot of people don’t.”

He also said Mr. Kennedy is “much better than Biden“ and ”a better man than Joe Biden.”

Multiple polls have shown that Mr. Kennedy could have more support from moderate and conservative Republicans.

In addition, Mr. Kennedy has gained widespread support independents and Libertarians.

In recent weeks, President Trump has launched verbal attacks on his independent challenger.

He has criticized conservative media outlets for giving Mr. Kennedy a platform and has implored undecided Republican voters to refrain from casting their ballot for him.

“Republicans, don’t waste your precious vote on this phony Liberal Activist. With all of that said, he probably hurts Sleepy Crooked Joe more than US!”

In an April 27 post on X, Mr. Kennedy called President Trump “unhinged” and remarked that “President Trump’s rant against me is a barely coherent barrage of wild and inaccurate claims that should best be resolved in the American tradition of presidential debate.”

“President Trump, who has proven himself the most adept debater in modern American political history, should not be panicked to meet me on that stage,” he added.

President Trump basked in the praise.

“He’s polling badly, 8 percent at best, but says he does well against Crooked Joe and me, one on one. WRONG, he gets trounced!

“Junior said I’m the ‘best debater’ in generations, and I want to debate him, and Crooked, but first he’s got to get his bad poll numbers up—a lot! He would be ‘easy pickins [sic],’” President Trump recently wrote on Truth Social.

The largest poll included in RealClear Polling’s collection was conducted by Harvard-Harris and reached out to 1,961 respondents.

In that survey, which was released on April 25, President Trump had 46 percent support followed by President Biden at 39 percent, Mr. Kennedy at 12 percent, Mr. West 2 percent, and Ms. Stein 1 percent.

With the Libertarian Party set to nominate its presidential candidate this month, and Mr. Kennedy polling above 10 percent, President Trump is hopeful that his appearance at the Libertarian national convention will attract support.

“If Libertarians join me and the Republican Party, where we have many Libertarian views, the election won’t even be close. We cannot have another four years of death, destruction, and incompetence. WE WILL WORK TOGETHER AND WIN!” President Trump said in a statement.

Mr. Kennedy announced his candidacy to challenge President Biden for the Democrat Party nomination in April 2023.

After encountering multiple roadblocks from the Democratic National Committee, and claiming the organization was “rigging the primary” to favor President Biden and prevent other candidates from competing, he chose to run as an independent last October.

Since then, Mr. Kennedy has focused on gaining ballot access in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Speculation mounted earlier this year that he could seek and gain the Libertarian Party’s 2024 presidential nomination.

He met with Libertarian National Committee Chair Angela McArdle, and they expressed mutual interest, but after a campaign stop in Iowa last month, Mr. Kennedy told The Epoch Times that he would continue his campaign as an independent.

“It will become obvious quickly we will get ballot access,” Mr. Kennedy replied when asked whether he is still talking to the Libertarian Party about its nomination.

His campaign confirmed in a statement that he has “many areas of alignment” with the Libertarian Party but “is not contemplating joining the Libertarian ticket.”

Mr. Kennedy has spoken at multiple Libertarian events over the last year, including the party’s California annual convention. Yet he appears committed to remaining independent.

He has told The Epoch Times on several occasions that he will be on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

He reiterated that belief during a recent campaign stop in Long Island, New York.

Requirements for securing a ballot spot differ by state, as do deadlines. Multiple states have summer deadlines.

Mr. Kennedy told The Epoch Times that he would gain ballot access in “two to three states every week” and that he would be on the ballot in “every state” by the end of July.

He is officially on the ballot in California, Delaware, Michigan, and Utah. The campaign has said it has collected enough signatures to appear on the ballot in Hawaii, Idaho, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Iowa.