President Joe Biden ordered Secret Service protection for independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday, following the assassination attempt of Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“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.,” Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced during a White House press briefing.
Before the attempted assassination of Trump, the DHS had allegedly previously denied Kennedy’s request for Secret Service protection six times, causing his campaign to spend millions on private security, a Kennedy staffer told the National Review. Kennedy had, again, requested protection in early June, on the anniversary of his father’s assassination, Axios reported.
Biden’s decision notably came hours after Trump demanded Secret Service protection for Kennedy in a post to Truth Social on Monday.
“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. Given the history of the Kennedy Family, this is the obvious right thing to do!” the former president wrote.
Both Kennedy’s father and uncle were assassinated. Kennedy’s father, Robert Kennedy, was shot on June 5, 1968, after winning the Democrat primary in California, and died the next day. Kennedy’s uncle, former President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated on November 22, 1963.
Leading Democrats introduced legislation intended to strip President Trump of Secret Service protection.
— Alex Pfeiffer (@__Pfeiffer) July 13, 2024
They did that at the same time as Joe Biden called President Trump a "dictator," and Nancy Pelosi said President Trump "must be stopped." pic.twitter.com/x0L5Lq93bz
On Sunday, bipartisan House members said they were planning on introducing a bill to bolster Secret Service protections for Biden, Trump, and Kennedy, according to Axios.
In April, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) introduced legislation that would take away Trump’s Secret Service protection upon a conviction.
