President Joe Biden has directed the U.S. Secret Service to extend protection to independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced Monday.
“‘In light of this weekend’s events, the president has directed me to work with the Secret Service to provide protection to Robert Kennedy Jr.,’ Mayorakas said at the White House during a daily briefing,” per CNBC.
According to The Associated Press, Kennedy is considered a “longshot” for the upcoming presidential seat. But his campaign has been drawing significant attention and extensive crowds.
Trump, who was the victim of an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, has urged the government to grant Kennedy Secret Service protection.
“Given the history of the Kennedy Family, this is the obvious right thing to do!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Kennedy and his team are hypersensitive regarding his safety as a candidate due to the history of his family and the dangers of political life. RFK Jr.’s father, Robert F. Kennedy, and his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, were both assassinated in the 1960s.
Kennedy responded to Trump’s social media post as a “hopeful sign for our country when a political opponent calls for one’s protection. Maybe our country can unite after all,” per Fox News.
Kennedy also expressed gratitude to the Biden administration.
“Thank you, President Biden, for extending me Secret Service protection,’ Kennedy said in a statement. He also thanked his private security firm, Gavin de Becker & Associates ‘for keeping me safe for the past 15 months of my presidential campaign,’” per the AP.
Homeland Security officials said that recent requests for protection from political candidates were coming in sooner than usual. Indicating a heightened concern for their safety.
Threats against political candidates are not uncommon, but there has been a noticeable increase in violent language and threats since the recent attack at a Trump rally, law enforcement officials said. Mayorkas said that both Biden and Trump are frequently targeted by threats.