Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been denied Secret Service protection for the fifth time, prompting him to consider legal action against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Kennedy’s attorney Aaron Siri wrote a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas after his client’s request for Secret Service Protection was denied on March 28. In his letter, Siri noted that it was Kennedy’s father, Robert F. Kennedy, who was the reason why protection was expanded to presidential candidates after he was assassinated in 1968 while running for office.
Kennedy has received several serious threats to his life while running for president. In one instance, a man showed up to one of his campaign events with two loaded handguns. An intruder was arrested last year for attempting to break into Kennedy’s home twice in one day while he was at home.
Even worse, a man showed up at Kennedy’s home stating that he wanted to kill the presidential candidate. Thankfully, he was not home at the time.
“If protection is not afforded, we have been authorized to commence an action on the grounds that the repeated denials have been politically motivated and are otherwise capricious,” Siri wrote in his letter.
Utterly unacceptable. Disgusting that Biden and his fellow DNC members find it acceptable to place Robert F. Kennedy's son, the latest Kennedy presidential candidate, in harm's way in spite of the obvious insanity of such a decision. https://t.co/tTRdBBa1xZ
— James Lyons-Weiler (@lifebiomedguru) April 9, 2024
“If any harm befalls Mr. Kennedy or any other member of the public who may be injured or killed in any incident that arises due to lack of Secret Service protection to the candidate and the deterrent it affords, we will seek to hold you accountable,” the letter continued.
To qualify for Secret Service protection, presidential candidates of major political parties must poll at 15% or better for 30 consecutive days on RealClearPolitics. For candidates of minor political parties, polling must be at 20% or higher; Kennedy is currently polling at 11%. They also have to wait until a year before the election. However, the DHS secretary is given “broad discretion” in determining which candidates need Secret Service protection regardless of the requirements.
Siri also pointed out in his letter that there have been many former candidates who had lower polling numbers and less serious risks placed on their lives than Kennedy but were able to receive Secret Service Protection.
In 2007, then-candidate Barack Obama received protection 551 days before the election, way beyond the one-year threshold.
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) also received Secret Service protection after having her house swatted, proving Siri’s point.
Siri claimed in his letter that the reason behind Kennedy being denied Secret Service protection was because it posed a risk to both Mayorkas’ and President Joe Biden’s jobs.
He concluded his letter by writing, “To be sure, there are things worse than death. Living without integrity is one of them.”
Like him or not, @RobertKennedyJr will play a pivotal role in the 2024 election – as a potential spoiler, if not more. If polls are right, he will draw over 10 million votes. He DESERVES Secret Service protection – and given how his father died, this feels very petty. https://t.co/aSFyyPioq5
— Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) April 10, 2024
Based on the turmoil and health of the country, no one in the Biden administration knows the meaning of integrity, or Kennedy would have been granted the protection.
