Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., July 20, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Democrat presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy is calling out President Joe Biden’s administration for not providing secret service protection to him.
“Since the assassination of my father in 1968, candidates for President are provided Secret Service protection. But not me,” tweeted Kennedy, the son of assassinated 1968 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy and nephew to assassinated President John F. Kennedy.
The candidate continued, “Typical turnaround time for pro forma protection requests from presidential candidates is 14-days. After 88-days of no response and after several follow-ups by our campaign, the Biden Administration just denied our request.”
He then noted what he was told. Kennedy tweeted the response, “Secretary Mayorkas: ‘I have determined that Secret Service protection for Robert F Kennedy Jr is not warranted at this time.’ Our campaign’s request included a 67-page report from the world’s leading protection firm, detailing unique and well-established security and safety risks aside from commonplace death threats.”
It is true that secret service protection is afforded to presidential candidates, and this offering did begin after his father’s murder, but that protection doesn’t start until 120 days before the election, according to the Secret Service website. Right now, the November election is more than 400 days out.
Protection is also not guaranteed for all candidates throughout the entire campaign period. And the Secret Service website specifically notes the protection is for candidates who are deemed “major.”
The Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security have not yet publicly provided a formal response or explanation for their decision, The Hill reported.
Some candidates have gotten protection early. In May 2007, candidate Barack Obama received protection that began earlier, and it was noted as an “unusually early step” at the time, Politico reported.
“The American people, no matter their politics, will find this decision shocking and repugnant,” Kennedy campaign manager Dennis Kucinich said in a statement. “This is obviously a political decision, not a legal one. As such, this is directly on President Biden. It is absolutely implausible that the President would try to claim that he was not consulted by his cabinet secretary on a matter as sensitive as this.”
With the passage of the Sundry Civil Expenses Act in 1907, Congress provided taxpayer funds for Presidential protection by the Secret Service, and this now extends to presidential candidates. The Secret Service protects Presidents and politicians, Forbes reported.
Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., testifies before the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, July 20, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
