A Look at How Excluded Presidential Candidates Responded to the ABC Debate

ABC News hosted a debate between Republican former President Donald Trump and Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday night. However, not all presidential candidates were included, and several responded to their exclusion in various ways.

Independent Political Report has compiled a list of candidates who reacted to their exclusion by hosting their own video events or providing live responses on social media. This information is based on details shared by the campaigns via social media and their official websites. We invite readers to share additional candidate responses in the comments, along with links to where those reactions can be found if they were recorded.

• Chase Oliver, the Libertarian Party’s presidential nominee, hosted a live debate response alongside IndyPolitics.org editor Abdul Hakim Shabazz. During the discussion, Oliver directly addressed several topics raised during the debate and spoke on other issues central to his campaign. He also took live audience questions from listeners who participated via social media. Afterward, Oliver joined podcaster and Libertarian Party activist Chris Spangle for additional post-debate commentary. A recording of Oliver’s conversation with Shabazz is available below:

• Dr. Jill Stein, the Green Party’s presidential nominee, live-blogged her reactions to the debate on X, answering questions in real time and responding to the answers given by Trump and Harris. In addition, the Stein campaign hosted a live watch party for supporters via Zoom. Following the debate, Stein presented a live video response, where she explored key issues in more detail and discussed the challenges she faces in spreading her campaign message, particularly in the face of opposition from the Democratic Party. Stein’s live video response is available below:

• The Socialist Party USA ticket of William Stodden and Stephanie Cholensky hosted a debate watch party, followed by a post-debate discussion with members of the party’s Leftist Book Club and fellow Socialist candidates. The discussion, streamed on the campaign’s official YouTube channel, allowed for interactive viewer participation, with the candidates responding to questions and comments from the live audience. The ticket’s post-debate discussion is available below:

• Claudia De la Cruz, the presidential nominee for the Party for Socialism and Liberation, protested her and running mate Karina Garcia’s exclusion by joining demonstrators outside the debate venue in Philadelphia. In the days leading up to the protest, De la Cruz invited supporters to participate, declaring that the two major parties “cannot silence the movement” and offering attendees the chance to meet and march with her. After the protest, De la Cruz live-blogged her reactions to the debate on her personal X account, where she critiqued both Trump and Harris, as well as key moments from the night’s discussion.
  
  Additionally, De la Cruz announced that she will join Breakthrough News’ The Socialist Program with Brian Becker on Wednesday to provide post-debate commentary and discuss the presidential race. Becker’s conversation with De la Cruz is available below:

• Pirate Party-endorsed presidential candidate Vermin Supreme live-blogged the debate on X in his signature satirical style, critiquing several of Trump and Harris’s responses. Supreme was joined by his running mate, John Realz, who provided similar commentary.

• Joseph Kishore and Jerry White, the ticket of the Socialist Equality Party, live-blogged parts of the debate on their respective campaign accounts on X, responding to answers given by Trump and Harris. After the debate, Kishore also published a longer critique of the two candidates on the ticket’s official campaign site, writing that the debate “revealed the reactionary character of the entire political system and both candidates of the ruling class,” before addressing certain topics in greater detail.