The U.S. Secret Service is withdrawing its protection for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who recently suspended his presidential campaign. Kennedy, who had sought Secret Service protection for months following an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, is losing this security detail because he has paused his campaign, according to law enforcement sources cited by the New York Post.
Kennedy announced on Friday that he was “suspending” his presidential bid, though he has not officially terminated it. He also endorsed President Trump in key battleground states. Kennedy remains on the ballot in blue states.
Typically, the Secret Service protects presidents, vice presidents, their immediate families, former presidents, former first ladies, children of former presidents, visiting heads of state, and leading presidential candidates. When a candidate withdraws from a race, the agency generally reduces or terminates protection, as noted by the New York Post.
Kennedy had requested Secret Service protection due to 34 reported threats and disturbing incidents, as highlighted in a July 11 Newsweek report.
Following the assassination attempt on Trump on July 13 by gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, who also killed former fire chief Corey Comperatore and injured others, the Secret Service faced significant criticism. The incident has been described as one of the agency’s most significant failures in four decades.
In the wake of the attack, reports surfaced that Secret Service officials had previously denied increased security requests for Trump. These revelations came alongside legislative threats to remove Trump’s Secret Service detail if convicted, a move criticized by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson as a “death threat.”
Ten days after the attack, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned after a contentious congressional hearing where she struggled to address key concerns about the agency’s performance. Additionally, five Secret Service officials involved in planning Trump’s rally have been placed on administrative duty, limiting their roles to non-operational tasks.
