The U.S. Secret Service is ending protection for Democrat-turned-Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. following the suspension of his campaign on Friday.
Kennedy, who had been seeking Secret Service protection for months and finally had it granted after the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, is now having his protection pulled because he suspended his presidential campaign, law enforcement sources told the New York Post.
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On Friday, Kennedy announced he was “suspending” — although “not terminating” — his bid for the White House, and endorsed President Trump in battleground states. Kennedy is still on the ballot in blue states.
Notably, the 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.
Kennedy, whose father Bobby Kennedy and uncle President John F. Kennedy were both assassinated, had cited evidence of 34 instances of threats and concerning rants against him while trying to obtain Secret Service protection, according to a July 11 report by Newsweek.
On July 13, President Trump was speaking at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when he was shot in the ear by gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, who killed former fire chief Corey Comperatore and severely injured two other rallygoers, David Dutch and James Copenhaver.
The agency has since faced heavy backlash in response to the events that unfolded on July 13, in what is seen as the biggest Secret Service failure in four decades.
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After the assassination attempt against Trump, it was reported that top officials within the Secret Service have 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 former Fox News host Tucker Carlson 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 is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.