Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) introduced a bill Friday that aims to strip Secret Service protection from protectees who have been convicted of felonies and sentenced to prison. Thompson, the former chairman of the now-dissolved Jan. 6 Select Committee, has named the bill the “Denying Infinite Security and Government Resources Allocated toward Convicted and Extremely Dishonorable (DISGRACED) Former Protectees Act.”
The bill is clearly targeting President Donald Trump, and its introduction comes just as Trump’s trial in New York is getting underway.
In a statement released through the House Homeland Security Committee Democrats, Thompson argued that the current law doesn’t address how Secret Service protection would impact the incarceration of a convicted former president. He stated, “It is necessary for us to be prepared and update the law so the American people can be assured that protective status does not translate into special treatment.”
Trump supporters and conservative commentators have slammed the bill, calling it a thinly veiled attempt to weaken the 45th president’s security and, by extension, his campaign calling this just another piece of a multi-pronged lawfare attack on Trump’s candidacy.
One analyst said, “This is not just a move to enforce the law but appears to be a strategic play to sideline a political opponent.”
The timing and targeted nature of the bill suggest that it is more than just an update to existing laws — it is simply the latest move by cynical Democrats to prevent the American people from voting for the candidate of their choice, no matter the cost.
LEFTISTS want to #DerekChauvin the President of the United States of America! They hate PRESIDENT TRUMP but mostly #DemocratsHateAmerica https://t.co/0lP18LEZpa
— Blue Knight 🇺🇲🙏🇹🇼 (@Lightning1z) April 20, 2024