Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did not qualify for next week’s debate in Atlanta, hosted by CNN, due to not meeting the required benchmarks for state ballot qualification and polling.

This means the debate on June 27 will only feature Democratic President Joe Biden and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, denying Kennedy a chance to enhance his campaign’s legitimacy.

Kennedy criticized his exclusion as “undemocratic, un-American, and cowardly.”

Both Biden and Trump are concerned that Kennedy could affect the outcome of a tight general election.

CNN’s criteria required candidates to be on the ballot in states totaling at least 270 electoral votes and to reach 15% in four national polls by June 20, ABC 7 News reported.

While Kennedy’s campaign claims he is on the ballot in 22 states with 310 electoral votes, not all states have confirmed this, and he has only met the polling requirement in three qualifying polls, securing 89 Electoral College votes.

Written by B.C. Begley