Biden orders Secret Service to protect RFK Jr. after attempt on Trump's life

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses President Joe Biden's decision to provide Secret Service protection to independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Overview

1. What prompted President Biden to provide Secret Service protection to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.?

• The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump led President Biden to direct the U.S. Secret Service to protect independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
• Kennedy's campaign had been urging the president to provide him with Secret Service protection for months, and had sent multiple requests after various incidents, such as a man trespassing at Kennedy's Los Angeles home and an armed man impersonating a federal officer outside a Kennedy campaign event.
• Kennedy's uncle, President John F. Kennedy, and his father, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, were both assassinated, which likely contributed to the decision to provide him with Secret Service protection.

2. What is the status of Kennedy's presidential campaign?

• Kennedy is considered a longshot to win Electoral College votes, much less the presidency, but his campaign events have drawn large crowds of supporters and people interested in his message.
• Kennedy met with former President Trump on Monday "to discuss national unity" and hopes to meet with Democratic leaders, though he is not dropping out of the race.
• Kennedy's relatively strong showing in a few national polls has given his candidacy some heft, though polls during the 2016 presidential campaign regularly put libertarian Gary Johnson's support in the high single or low double digits, but he ultimately received only about 3% of the vote nationwide.

3. How does the Secret Service protection for Kennedy compare to other candidates?

• The Secret Service is legally required to protect major party presidential and vice presidential candidates and their families 120 days out from a general election, but third-party candidates are treated on an as-needed basis.
• Kennedy, who has paid millions for private security, said the cost limited his ability to campaign, and the Department of Homeland Security acknowledged that recent requests for candidate protection were coming in earlier than in the past.

4. What is the current threat environment for political candidates?

• Threats to political candidates are common, and law enforcement officials have said that there has been an uptick in violent rhetoric since the weekend attack at the Trump rally.
• Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stated that both Biden and Trump are "constantly the subject of threats" and that the U.S. is in a "heightened and very dynamic threat environment."

5. How have the Biden and Trump campaigns responded to Kennedy's candidacy?

• Both the Biden and Trump campaigns, who fear Kennedy could be a spoiler, bypassed the nonpartisan debate commission and agreed to a schedule that essentially left out Kennedy.