Trump joins calls for RFK Jr. to get Secret Service protection

Former President Trump on Monday joined calls for independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to get Secret Service protection, just days after the former president was targeted in an assassination attempt.

“In light of what is going on in the world today, I believe it is imperative that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. receive Secret Service protection — immediately,” Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social.

“Given the history of the Kennedy Family, this is the obvious right thing to do!” he added.

Trump’s statement comes amid growing calls for Kennedy to receive protection from the Secret Service — a privilege the independent presidential candidate has long sought. He said last year that his official request for Secret Service protection was denied.

Kennedy has argued he should get protection because he is at increased risk because of his family history: His father, former Attorney General Robert Kennedy, and his uncle, former President Kennedy, were both assassinated.

The Secret Service is authorized to protect major presidential and vice presidential candidates and their spouses within 120 days of a general presidential election. The Homeland Security secretary, in consultation with an advisory committee of House and Senate leadership, determines which candidates are in that “major” category. 

Among the factors the DHS secretary can consider, according to the Secret Service, is “whether the candidate is an independent or third-party candidate for President polling at 20% or more of the Real Clear Politics National Average for 30 consecutive days.”

The Real Clear Politics polling average currently has Kennedy polling nationally at 13 percent, trailing Trump’s 42.8 percent and President Biden’s 39 percent. The Hill’s Decision Desk HQ national average has Kennedy polling at 8 percent, compared to Trump’s 42.1 percent and Biden’s 39.7 percent.

Still, Trump’s assassination attempt has sparked fears among public officials for their and their staffs’ personal safety. Members across the ideological spectrum have joined calls to provide Secret Service protection to Kennedy.