Bay State News

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, said he has been denied Secret Service protection by the Biden Administration.

“Since the assassination of my father in 1968, candidates for president are provided Secret Service protection. But not me,” tweeted Kennedy, Jr. “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,” Kennedy, Jr. said. “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.”

Kennedy said that Homeland Security Director Alejandro Mayorkas told the Kennedy campaign, “I have determined that Secret Service protection for Robert F Kennedy Jr is not warranted at this time.”

Kennedy, Jr.’s father, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, was fatally shot on June 5, 1968 at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles during his presidential campaign. 

That followed the assassination of Kennedy, Jr.’s uncle, President John F. Kennedy, on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas.

Secret Service protection is typically provided to “major" presidential and vice presidential candidates.

“The term 'major presidential and vice presidential candidate' means those identified as such by the secretary of Homeland Security after consultation with an advisory committee consisting of the speaker of the House of Representatives, the minority leader of the House of Representatives, the majority and minority leaders of the Senate and one additional member selected by the other members of the committee,” reported ABC News in April 2019. 

Former President Barack Obama received Secret Service protection in May 2007, almost two years before the election in which he was first elected president. 

The Secret Service was also assigned to protect 33 members of President Joe Biden’s administration and family, and protected 42 people during the Trump Administration, reported USA Today. 

A recent poll found Kennedy, Jr. with a higher favorability rating — 49% — than any other current presidential candidate, receiving 20% in the matchup with incumbent President Joe Biden. 

Kennedy, Jr. is the son of former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and the nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Kennedy, Jr. is currently running for the Democratic nomination for U.S. President, and is the founder of the non-profit organization, Children’s Health Defense.

Kennedy, Jr., the founder of the non-profit Children’s Health Defense, authored the 2021 book, “The Real Tony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health.” That book, published by CHD, became a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller.