Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently threatened to sue the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after the department denied the Kennedy family scion and independent presidential candidate Secret Service protection for the fifth time.
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stated that Kennedy did not need Secret Service protection in a letter sent to the Kennedy campaign dated March 28. The DHS reportedly made this determination after conferring with an advisory panel that included leading members of Congress and the Senate Sergeant at Arms.
A lawyer for Kennedy, Aaron Siri, responded to Mayorkas’ multiple denials of Kennedy’s requests for secret service protection in a letter on Mar. 29, which Kennedy posted to X, formerly Twitter. The letter called the department’s policy toward Kennedy “capricious” and “clearly politically motivated.”
“As you are well aware, the entire reason Secret Service protection was expanded by Congress to presidential candidates is because of the assassination of Mr. Kennedy’s father in 1968 while he was running for president,” the letter stated.
Scathing letter from my attorneys holds Secretary Mayorkas responsible for consequences of his politically motivated, petty, and vindictive denial of Secret Service protection for my campaign.
TAKE ACTION: Demand President Biden provide Secret Service protection to RFK, Jr. ⬇️… pic.twitter.com/TSeOlGxBzr
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) April 3, 2024
“Since that time,” the letter continued, “Secret Service protection has been afforded to at least thirty-two presidential candidates. At the time granted, many of these candidates had less financial support and lower national polling than Mr. Kennedy, and additionally they had not experienced any actual specific attempted harm.”
The attorneys for Kennedy alleged in the letter that Mayorkas repeatedly denied Secret Service protection to Kennedy “for apparent personal and political purposes.” The letter from Siri also accused Mayorkas of “ignoring the real risks” to Kennedy “and to people in his vicinity” as a result of running for president.
A Secret Service report dated June 1, 2023, concluded, “Kennedy’s family history, perceived controversial stance on vaccines, and his status as a challenger to President Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination elevates his risk for adverse attention.”
Kennedy is the first to be denied Secret Service upon request. Here’s a scrolling list of all the candidates who got secret service far ahead of the 120 days threshold from Election Day: pic.twitter.com/rP99MlosKr
— Indy Cat 2000 (@TheFinalBot1) April 4, 2024
A citizen journalist on X posted, “Here’s a scrolling list of all the candidates who got secret service far ahead of the 120 days threshold from Election Day.” The list included Ronald Reagan in 1979, Ted Kennedy in 1979, Pat Robertson in 1987, Jesse Jackson in 1987, Michael Dukakis in 1988 and Bill Clinton in 1992.
DHS even approved Secret Service protection for former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) when she was running unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination for president, despite the clear evidence that she had no chance of winning the primary.
