RFK Jr. becomes presidential debate X factor

The Trump and Biden campaigns have lit a fire under RFK Jr. and his supporters. They may regret it.

Why it matters: Kennedy might struggle to qualify for the June 27 CNN debate. But his campaign can now frame signing a ballot access petition — or mentioning his name to a pollster — as a way to stick it to former President Trump and President Biden.

• To qualify, Kennedy will need to hit 15% in four high-quality national polls and to be on the ballot in enough states to have a shot at 270 electoral votes.
• He's got access to cash thanks to his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, who chipped in $4 million to help run his now-notorious Super Bowl ad.
• Kennedy campaign director Amaryllis Fox posted today, "We anticipate fulfilling all participation criteria" by the deadline.