RFK Jr. on Secret Service Pulling Protection: ‘I’m Technically Still Running for President’

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who sought Secret Service protection for months and finally had it granted after the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, had his protection pulled because he suspended his presidential campaign, law enforcement sources told the New York Post.

Kennedy confirmed in an interview with Tucker Carlson this week that his Secret Service protection was pulled following his suspension announcement and endorsement of former President Donald Trump. 

“I’m technically still running for president. I’m running for president in 40 states. I did not terminate my campaign,” the Democrat-turned-independent told Carlson when asked about Secret Service pulling protection. 

Secret Service typically protects presidents, vice presidents, their immediate family members, former presidents, former first ladies, children of former presidents, visiting heads of state, and top presidential candidates. If a candidate drops out of a race, the agency usually scales back its protection, but can also terminate it altogether, the New York Post noted.

“There’s ten states where I hurt president Trump, and they are battleground states. So I’ve taken my name off the ballot in those ten states. But…all blue states, all red states, I’m on the ballot,” he added. 

Carlson pointed out that protection was immediately withdrawn from Kennedy — who is still running for president in most states — while non-federal employees like former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have received Secret Service protection. 

“What’s the message of that?” Carlson asked.

“The message, I think, is a bad message, which is that our federal enforcement agencies have been…weaponized politically.” Kennedy replied. 

President Joe Biden notably ordered Secret Service protection for Kennedy following the assassination attempt on Trump. Biden’s decision came hours after Trump demanded Secret Service protection for Kennedy in a post to Truth Social.

Before the attempted assassination of Trump, the Department of Homeland Security (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.

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.

After Trump was shot through the ear while speaking at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, Secret Service has faced heavy backlash. The agency’s response to the shooting has been seen as the biggest Secret Service failure in four decades.

It was reported after the assassination attempt that top officials within the Secret Service had denied requests to increase security for the 45th president over the past two years.

These revelations came after Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) introduced legislation threatening to strip President Trump of his Secret Service detail if he is convicted — a move that Carlson previously referred to as “a death threat.”

Ten days after the assassination attempt, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned following a scathing congressional hearing in which she was unable or unwilling to answer many key questions from lawmakers on the agency’s failure to protect President Trump. 

Recently, at least five Secret Service officials involved in planning Trump’s July 13 rally were placed on administrative duty. They are still allowed to work, but are prohibited from being involved in anything operational, such as security planning.

Alana Mastrangelo contributed to this story.