Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was at a campaign event at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles on Friday when an armed man who arrived at the event was detained by security and later arrested by the LAPD.
On X, Kennedy gave thanks to his security detail for detaining the man, who wore “two shoulder holsters with loaded pistols and spare ammunition magazines (and) was carrying a U.S. Marshal badge on a lanyard and beltclip federal ID.”
Kennedy added: “I’m still entertaining a hope that President Biden will allow me Secret Service protection. I am the first presidential candidate in history to whom the White House has denied a request for protection.”
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) is amplifying Kennedy’s request for Secret Service protection and writes: “the Biden admin should give Kennedy a security detail. NOW. Given his tragic family history—both his father & uncle were horrifically assassinated—and this latest serious security incident, Biden shouldn’t mess around. Under law, ‘major’ candidates are entitled to secret service protection.”
This isn’t a left or right issue: the Biden admin should give @RobertKennedyJr a security detail. NOW.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 16, 2023
Given his tragic family history—both his father & uncle were horrifically assassinated—and this latest serious security incident, Biden shouldn’t mess around.
Under law,… https://t.co/w1wEonEFtp
Cruz, a Harvard-trained lawyer, knows the law and is aware that his statement, while technically accurate, purposefully leaves out the part that considers the timeframe involved. Note: According to the law, 18 USC § 3056, the Secret Service is only authorized to protect ‘major’ presidential and vice presidential candidates and their spouses within 120 days of a general presidential election.
The term “major Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates” means those individuals identified as such by the Secretary of Homeland Security (currently Alejandro Mayorkas) after consultation with an advisory committee consisting of the Speaker of the House of Representatives (Kevin McCarthy), the minority leader of the House of Representatives (Hakeem Jeffries), the majority and minority leaders of the Senate, and one additional member selected by the other members of the committee.
According to a CNN review of presidential campaigns dating back to 1980, “only then-Senator Barack Obama, who faced unique threats as a Black man with a realistic chance to become president, was granted Secret Service protection as early in a campaign as Kennedy is seeking it.”
