Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the controversial independent presidential candidate, is demanding Secret Service protection after an alleged stalker invaded his Los Angeles property twice on the same day.
Kennedy has already had two requests for protection rejected by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, but his campaign is applying more pressure in its third effort.
“Every presidential administration for 55 years has afforded early protection to candidates who requested it. The Biden administration is the sole outlier,” Kennedy’s campaign claimed in a statement.
The actual letter, also shared by Kennedy, noted that the trespasser, identified as Jonathan Macht, will likely be released soon and has made several threats against the candidate.
“That will mean three people ― all of whom have made dangerous approaches to the candidate ― will be at large and able to continue their efforts to encounter the candidate,” the letter read.
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Kennedy dropped out of the Democratic race against Biden to run as an independent. He is a longshot but is seen as a potential disruptor to the anticipated general election between Biden and former President Donald Trump. A recent poll suggested that Kennedy, whose anti-vaccine views have drawn interest from conservatives, will siphon more votes from Trump than Biden.
In a separate incident, an armed man accused of impersonating a federal officer was arrested at a Kennedy campaign event in September.
DemocRATS REFUSING Secret Service PROTECTION for Robert F Kennedy JR who was a DemocRAT running for President as a DemocRAT has NOW CHANGED TO AN INDEPENDENT!!
Criminal MALFEASANCE by DemocRATS TO REFUSE PROTECTION https://t.co/VPc7cw7USe— Mark E Hayes (@MarkEHayes1) October 28, 2023
Kennedy’s campaign manager has written to President Joe Biden urging him to provide Secret Service protection to the candidate, noting that Kennedy’s uncle, former President John F. Kennedy, and his father, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, were assassinated.
Kennedy’s campaign says the candidate’s private security company was already aware of the trespasser, whom the campaign called an “obsessed individual.” The campaign said the company had alerted the Secret Service about him and shared “alarming communications” he had sent to Kennedy.
Kennedy’s campaign has sent a new request for protection to DHS on Wednesday, its third formal request so far. DHS has not yet responded to a request for comment from the Associated Press.
A law enforcement official on Thursday said the Secret Service does not monitor people it is not actively protecting, like Kennedy. When a request for protection comes in, the official said, the service does an assessment but stops monitoring when it is complete. The official, who was not authorized to discuss the situation publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity, said Kennedy was not being assessed at the time of Wednesday’s incidents.
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