CNN’s rules state that participants must appear on enough state ballots to win the at least 270 electoral votes required to win a US presidential election, and they must receive at least 15% support in four separate recognised polls – a high bar for a third-party hopeful like Robert F Kennedy Jr.
Mr Kennedy’s campaign says he is now officially on the ballot in six states and has collected enough signatures to qualify for the ballot in eight more. All those states combined bring him closer to the electoral threshold, but only to 185.
His latest polling figures also appear to be slightly below the CNN guidelines, even though he is polling better than any third-party candidate since Ross Perot in 1996.
CNN has not yet commented on his claims of qualifying.
Earlier on Wednesday Mr Kennedy accused, external his opponents of trying to freeze him out “because they are afraid I would win”. He has previously argued that White House elections are rigged in favour of the two main parties.
Mr Biden laughed when a reporter asked him on Wednesday if he wished to debate the independent candidate.
By moving the debates earlier in the presidential campaign calendar, Mr Biden’s proposal could lower any impact the TV clashes have on the outcome of the November presidential election, giving both candidates more time to recover from any poor performance.
Some past incumbent presidents – including Mr Trump, Barack Obama, George HW Bush and Ronald Reagan – have had shaky showings in their first general election debate before regaining their footing in subsequent meetings.
A June debate would take place before both the Republican and Democratic national conventions, while the September debate would be at least a month before election day. Surveys indicate many Americans do not begin paying attention to US presidential campaign news until the autumn.
Mr Biden also proposed a July vice-presidential debate that would take place after Mr Trump’s running mate was nominated at the Republican convention in the summer.
The election-year presidential debates are typically broadcast on multiple US networks. At least 73 million Americans watched the first 2020 debate between Mr Trump and Mr Biden.
Mr Trump declined to participate in any Republican primary debates during this campaign, a point noted by Mr Biden in the video his campaign released announcing the debate proposal.
Mr Biden had minimal opposition in his bid for nomination this year, and the Democratic party held no primary debates.
