Covidiots

Via press release from Robert Kennedy Jr.’s campaign: CNN today announced the June 27 debate in Atlanta will be a head-to-head with Presidents Biden and Trump, excluding Kennedy from the stage. This decision is a clear violation of federal law. “Presidents Biden and Trump do not want me on the debate stage and CNN illegally agreed to their demand,” said …

The New York Times reports: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. failed to qualify for the CNN presidential debate on June 27 by the network’s Thursday deadline, according to the outlet, a significant blow to his independent presidential bid that will deny him a coveted national stage. Qualifying for the CNN debate, one of two presidential debates scheduled before Election Day, would …

The Washington Post reports: Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly claimed that he appears on enough statewide ballots to qualify for next week’s debate between President Biden and Donald Trump and has threatened to sue CNN for not letting him on the stage. But a Washington Post survey of state election officials found Kennedy is not on …

The Kansas City Star reports: Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach is suing the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, alleging it deceptively marketed its COVID-19 vaccine. The lawsuit, filed in state court in Thomas County, comes after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a similar lawsuit in November. Kobach said at a news conference on Monday that Kansas is one of several states …

The Daily Beast reports: In order to get on the ballot in President Joe Biden’s home state, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has turned to a group whose leaders include Trump supporters and election deniers, one of whom claims he was in D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021. Despite Delaware’s measly three electoral votes, the third-party candidate desperately needs to get on …

Florida Politics reports: He made headlines during the pandemic for railing against COVID-19 lockdowns by leading protests, burning masks and suing Broward County. Now he wants to take over City Hall by replacing one of the elected officials he regularly criticizes. Chris Nelson, a DJ, activist and conservative writer who has dedicated much of his online activity to promoting Gov. …

The New York Times reports: Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the former government scientist both celebrated and despised for his work on Covid, returned to Capitol Hill on Monday for a reunion with some of his fiercest antagonists: members of a Republican-led House panel who accuse him of helping to set off the worst pandemic in a century. Republicans on the …

The Washington Post reports: Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he had a “visceral reaction against” the removal of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s statue in Charlottesville. Speaking to podcast host Tim Pool in a “Timcast IRL” episode Friday, Kennedy — who is mounting a long-shot bid for the White House — said he doesn’t think “it’s a …

The New York Post reports: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his allies are handing out rubber chickens to attendees of the Libertarian Party convention in Washington D.C., and urging them to heckle former President Trump during his speech. The fowl move Saturday came after the GOP frontrunner apparently ignored a challenge from the independent candidate earlier this month to debate …

Mediaite reports: Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. addressed the Libertarian National Convention on Friday and told an anecdote about his views on masking during the Covid pandemic. “They asked me why I wasn’t wearing a mask, which, nobody was, except for the NBC film crew.” The crowd laughed at this detail. “They said, ‘Wasn’t I scared of dying …

Spokane’s CBS affiliate reports: A federal judge in Washington dismissed a lawsuit on Wednesday filed by former NBA player John Stockton and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that aimed to block a state investigation into two doctors accused of spreading COVID misinformation. The lawsuit was filed in March in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington …

ABC News reports: To qualify, candidates must attract at least 15 percent support in four national polls that meet CNN and ABC News’s respective standards, while also having ballot access in enough states to theoretically win 270 electoral votes — thresholds Kennedy has not yet met. Based on surveys released since mid-March that meet CNN’s requirements, Kennedy has two qualifying …

The New York Times reports: Ms. Shanahan has a fortune of more than $1 billion that stems largely from her divorce settlement last year with Sergey Brin, a founder of Google, whose net worth exceeds $145 billion, three people with knowledge of her finances said. During their five-year marriage, Ms. Shanahan partied with Silicon Valley’s elite and used recreational drugs …

The New York Post reports: Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lists his residence to vote as a tony Westchester County address — which is in foreclosure proceedings for non-payment, court records show. The independent candidate claims his voting address is 84 Croton Lake Road In Katonah, though he is not the owner of the million-dollar property-in-arrears, does not show …

NBC News reports: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s first reaction to this week’s debate agreement between President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump and CNN was to accuse them of “colluding” against him. But within hours, the independent presidential candidate changed his tune: He was going to try to win a one-month sprint to meet CNN’s criteria and crash the stage. …

The New York Times reports: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate, the Silicon Valley investor Nicole Shanahan, said on Wednesday night that she had given another $8 million to their independent presidential campaign as it carries out the expensive endeavor of gaining ballot access across the country and tries to propel Mr. Kennedy onto debate stages. Ms. Shanahan’s new donation, …

“Presidents Trump and Biden are colluding to lock America into a head-to-head match-up that 70% say they do not want. They are trying to exclude me from their debate because they are afraid I would win. Keeping viable candidates off the debate stage undermines democracy. “Forty-three percent of Americans identify as independents. If Americans are ever going to escape the …

Courthouse News reports: Independent U.S. Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sued Meta and Mark Zuckerberg Monday morning, claiming that Meta is interfering in the presidential election after it blocked one of Kennedy’s advertisements on its social media platforms. In the complaint filed in San Francisco federal court, Kennedy claims that Meta censored a 30-minute video advertisement about his life …

The Hill reports: Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday said he has enough signatures to qualify for the ballot in Texas, fulfilling one of his campaign’s main targets ahead of November. Kennedy and his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, turned in 245,572 signatures to the Texas Secretary of State’s office on Monday, more than double the number required …

CBS News reports: Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. once again reversed his stance on government limits for abortion access in a social media post Friday evening, prompted by criticism from within his own campaign. During an interview with podcaster Sage Steele, a former ESPN host, Kennedy Wednesday said he opposed any government restrictions on abortions, “even if it’s …