JUST IN: Secret Service Pulls RFK Jr.’s Security Detail After Trump Endorsement


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The Secret Service is ending its protection of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after he suspended his campaign in swing states and endorsed former President Donald Trump. The move comes after Kennedy announced that he will be remaining on the ballot in solid red and blue states.

In the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on July 13, President Biden instructed the Secret Service to provide security for Kennedy. The independent candidate had requested Secret Service protection on a number of occasions, citing multiple security concerns and thwarted plots, though his requests were repeatedly denied until the attempt on Trump’s life.

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At one point, RFK Jr.’s team claimed to have received evidence of 34 credible instances of threats against him, according to a report from Newsweek. Kennedy — whose father, Robert F. Kennedy and uncle, President John F. Kennedy, were assassinated in the 1960’s — suggested the decision to deny his requests were politically motivated.

Now, just a little over a month after the Secret Service detail was granted, the agency will be ending its protection after Kennedy effectively bowed out of the race.

The Secret Service typically provides protection for the president, vice president, first lady, their immediate family members, former presidents, visiting heads of state, children of former presidents until the age of 16, former first ladies and top presidential candidates. Protection is generally scaled back significantly, if not eliminated entirely, when candidates drop out of the race.

Technically, Kennedy is still a presidential candidate, as he announced his intention to remain on the ballot in less competitive states.

The move comes as the Secret Service continues to find itself under the microscope in the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Former Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned roughly a week after the shooting, which killed retired firefighter Corey Comperatore and wounded several others, including the former president.

In the weeks following the attack, the Secret Service has been accused of poor communication with local law enforcement, which led to key security vulnerabilities.

Several congressional and private investigations into the Secret Service and the attempt on Trump’s life are ongoing.

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Scoop Diggins