Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) suggested that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. should be allowed to join the presidential debates, as it would provide a chance to scrutinize the candidate’s stance on various issues.
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, the GOP’s presumptive nominee, have both agreed to face off in a CNN debate on June 27. Kennedy’s campaign has argued that the independent candidate should also participate, even though no independent candidate has been in a presidential debate since Ross Perot in 1992.
“Well, I think President Trump has said if he qualifies, he should be on,” Burgum remarked when asked about Kennedy on the debate stage during an appearance on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo. “But it’ll be a great opportunity to expose him as the Green New Deal spending, liberal Democrat that he is, and President Trump versus two Democrats, I think American people would enjoy watching that.”
Trump has ramped up his criticism of Kennedy as the presidential election approaches, alleging that the independent candidate is not as critical of vaccinations as he claims. This comes as Kennedy could potentially act as a spoiler for both the former president and Biden.
Burgum also addressed Biden’s leadership ahead of the debates, noting that the nation is worried about Biden’s ability to fulfill his presidential duties, not just during the debate.
Burgum is rumored to be among several candidates Trump is considering for vice president. The North Dakota governor attended Trump’s legal trial in Manhattan and labeled it as “election interference.”
Others reportedly under Trump’s consideration include Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Byron Donalds (R-FL), and Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and J.D. Vance (R-OH).
Vice President Kamala Harris has accepted an invitation from CBS News to debate Trump’s running mate, with the debate set for either July 23 or Aug. 13. Similar to the presidential debate, this event would take place in a studio without a live audience.
