US President Joe Biden on Monday instructed the US Secret Service to safeguard independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr, following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, according to the Homeland Security secretary. Although Kennedy’s chances of winning the presidency or even Electoral College votes are slim, his campaign events have attracted significant crowds interested in his message.
In a statement, Kennedy expressed his gratitude to President Biden for providing him with Secret Service protection and also thanked his private security firm, Gavin de Becker & Associates, “for keeping me safe for the past 15 months of my presidential campaign,” according to a report from AP.
Alejandro Mayorkas, the Homeland Security Secretary, confirmed that Biden had ordered protection for Kennedy both before and after the recent events.
While the Secret Service is obligated to protect major party presidential and vice presidential candidates and their families 120 days before a general election, third-party candidates are considered on a case-by-case basis. The Department of Homeland Security acknowledged in its 2024 budget overview that requests for candidate protection are being made earlier than in previous years.
Political candidates often face threats, but law enforcement officials have noted an increase in violent rhetoric following the attack at the Trump rally over the weekend. Mayorkas emphasised that both Biden and Trump are “constantly the subject of threats,” adding, “We are in a heightened and very dynamic threat environment.”
Kennedy, who challenged Biden for the Democratic nomination last year before launching an independent bid, has the potential to perform better than any third-party presidential candidate since Ross Perot in the 1990s, thanks to his well-known name and loyal base.
However, he did not participate in the first presidential debate on June 27, as both the Biden and Trump campaigns, fearing he could be a spoiler, bypassed the nonpartisan debate commission and agreed to a schedule that essentially excluded Kennedy.
Trump officially became the Republican presidential nominee on Monday after receiving the necessary delegate votes at the Republican National Convention. He was not seriously injured in the shooting in Pennsylvania over the weekend, which is currently under independent review.
Mayorkas said that Trump’s protection has been enhanced based on the “evolving nature of the threats to the former president” and his transition from presumptive nominee to nominee.
In a statement, Kennedy expressed his gratitude to President Biden for providing him with Secret Service protection and also thanked his private security firm, Gavin de Becker & Associates, “for keeping me safe for the past 15 months of my presidential campaign,” according to a report from AP.
Alejandro Mayorkas, the Homeland Security Secretary, confirmed that Biden had ordered protection for Kennedy both before and after the recent events.
While the Secret Service is obligated to protect major party presidential and vice presidential candidates and their families 120 days before a general election, third-party candidates are considered on a case-by-case basis. The Department of Homeland Security acknowledged in its 2024 budget overview that requests for candidate protection are being made earlier than in previous years.
Political candidates often face threats, but law enforcement officials have noted an increase in violent rhetoric following the attack at the Trump rally over the weekend. Mayorkas emphasised that both Biden and Trump are “constantly the subject of threats,” adding, “We are in a heightened and very dynamic threat environment.”
Kennedy, who challenged Biden for the Democratic nomination last year before launching an independent bid, has the potential to perform better than any third-party presidential candidate since Ross Perot in the 1990s, thanks to his well-known name and loyal base.
However, he did not participate in the first presidential debate on June 27, as both the Biden and Trump campaigns, fearing he could be a spoiler, bypassed the nonpartisan debate commission and agreed to a schedule that essentially excluded Kennedy.
Trump officially became the Republican presidential nominee on Monday after receiving the necessary delegate votes at the Republican National Convention. He was not seriously injured in the shooting in Pennsylvania over the weekend, which is currently under independent review.
Mayorkas said that Trump’s protection has been enhanced based on the “evolving nature of the threats to the former president” and his transition from presumptive nominee to nominee.