CNN will host a primetime town hall for the Libertarian Party's presidential ticket

CNN will host a primetime town hall with the Libertarian presidential and vice presidential nominees.

(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

published 15 June 2016

The Libertarian Party's presidential nominee Gary Johnson and his running mate Bill Weld will make their first appearance on primetime television next week in a CNN-hosted town hall. The network announced Wednesday that the event will be moderated by Chris Cuomo and held next Wednesday at 9 p.m. in New York City.

The pair could have the best shot of any third-party candidates in recent history, thanks to the dismal favorability numbers of presumptive major-party nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, though Johnson does currently lag far behind Clinton and Trump in the polls. Clinton leads with 40.7 percent support in a RealClearPolitics polling average, followed by Trump with 36.5 percent, and Johnson with 8.5 percent.

For the third-party duo to appear onstage at the presidential debates, they'll have to earn 15 percent support in a national polling average. A Fox News poll last week had Johnson at 12 percent support.