Why Robert F. Kennedy’s Jr.’s current presidential polling numbers might not hold up into November

By LINLEY SANDERS
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is hoping to get on the debate stage with Democratic President Joe Biden and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump. To do that, Kennedy will need to hit certain benchmarks, and he appears close on the polling one. But his current level of polling support doesn’t necessarily translate into sustained momentum for his campaign. An Associated Press analysis of Gallup data going back to 1980 shows that it’s pretty common for third-party candidates to look like they have polling momentum in the months before an election, only to come up far short at the ballot box.