Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has finally been granted Secret Service protection after having been denied repeatedly by the Biden Administration for more than a year.
This decision comes in the immediate wake of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump (R) on Saturday.
Kennedy posted a statement on X Monday thanking the president for approving his request for protection.
“Thank you to President Biden for granting me Secret Service protection,” he wrote. “And I am so grateful to Gavin deBecker & Associates for keeping me safe for the last 15 months of my Presidential campaign.”
Thank you to President Biden for granting me Secret Service protection. And I am so grateful to Gavin deBecker & Associates for keeping me safe for the last 15 months of my Presidential campaign.
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) July 15, 2024
Gavin deBecker & Associates was the company hired by Kennedy to provide security in lieu of Secret Service protection up until this point. deBecker is a well-known executive protection expert who has worked for some of America’s wealthiest CEOs, including Jeff Bezos.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced the Kennedy would be receiving protection during a daily briefing at the White House Monday.
“In light of this weekend’s events, the president has directed me to work with the Secret Service to provide protection to Robert Kennedy Jr.,” said Mayorakas.
Former President Trump issued a statement Monday morning advocating for Kennedy to receive Secret Service protection.
“In light of what is going on in the world today, I believe it is imperative that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. receive Secret Service protection — immediately,” he wrote. “Given the history of the Kennedy Family, this is the obvious right thing to do!”
Kennedy responded to this statement on X, referring to the message as a “hopeful sign” to see “a political opponent calls for one’s protection” and suggesting that “maybe our country can unite after all.”
It is a hopeful sign for our country when a political opponent calls for one's protection. Maybe our country can unite after all. pic.twitter.com/Nfd3yXAh1F
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) July 15, 2024
Prior to this, Kennedy had pleaded with the federal government multiple times for Secret Service protection, frequently citing his family’s history with assassinations.
Most recently, Kennedy appealed to the Biden Administration for protection on the 56th Anniversary of his father’s assassination.
In connection with these requests, Kennedy has pointed toward several incidents demonstrating his need for security, including home break ins and the arrest of an armed man at a September campaign event.
Mayorkas has reportedly denied Kennedy’s previous requests at the recommendation of top Congressional leaders.
“It is ultimately my decision, but I have followed their recommendation each time,” stated Mayorkas in May.
Trump’s Secret Service protection was also reportedly enhanced in light of the “evolving nature of the threats to the former president” and his new status as the Republican party’s presumptive nominee.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="29348 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=29348">4 Comments
Let us hope that Mr. Kennedy’s SS protection is better than the stupid group that paid no attention to the shooter on a nearby roof even after being told of his location and obvious intentions to use the rifle he had to shoot President Trump. Or, maybe, they were not stupid, but just following orders…from whom?
There is some thing rotten, in a lot of goverment agency adminstration
Maybe it’s always been there, who knows. We are now living in the information age. Every has a camera and can post it
I can’t help but wonder if Biden’s protection detail has any of the short DEI hires that we all saw fumbling around in confusion during the assassination attempt on presidential candidate and former president Trump.
It’s unbelievable how this administration has treated anyone who is a threat to their power. We have been under tyrannical rule and the Democrats voters have yet to figure it out.
However Fauci has had S/S protection for a while.