Armed Man Intercepted at RFK Jr. Event Proves Need for Secret Service Protection
Following a dangerous encounter with an armed man during a campaign event on September 15, 2023, Dennis Kucinich, Kennedy's campaign manager, penned a letter to President Biden calling for Secret Service protection for Democratic Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The dangerous individual, posing as a U.S. Marshal, attempted to enter the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, where Kennedy was scheduled to deliver a speech in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month within just two miles of the site of Robert F. Kennedy, Sr.'s assassination in 1968 during his own presidential campaign, raising alarming parallels to the political violence directed at the Kennedy family for generations.
Key Talking Points
- RFK Jr. held a campaign event in Los Angeles to pay tribute to Hispanic Heritage Month.
- A heavily armed individual with multiple firearms posed as a U.S. Marshal and attempted to enter the campaign event.
- Dennis Kucinich, RFK Jr.'s campaign manager, sent a letter to President Biden, emphasizing the episode demonstrates an urgent need for Kennedy to receive immediate Secret Service protection.
- RFK Jr. issued a statement thanking his security personnel and the Los Angeles Police Department for keeping him safe from the armed individual.
- RFK Jr. had previously requested Secret Service protection in July but was denied, despite his significant name recognition and polling numbers.
- There were eerie parallels between recent incident and his father Robert F. Kennedy Sr.'s assassination during his presidential campaign in 1968.
- Secret Service protection is traditionally granted to the candidate and their spouse 120 days in advance of an election, but there have been exceptions made in the past to grant protection much earlier in the process.
- An exception for Barack Obama during the Democratic primaries granted him full Secret Service security detail nine months prior to the Democratic primaries due to the historic nature of his campaign.
- The campaign's safety concerns stem from the highly polarized and volatile political climate in the United States.
- RFK Jr. is frequently targeted in the media by political commentators and lobbyists representing powerful industries that his candidacy seeks to regulate and rein in.
Key Data and Evidence Points
- In 2007, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security granted security protection to Barack Obama in consultation with a Congressional advisory committee responsible for reviewing security measures for presidential candidates. This decision marked a historic precedent as the Secret Service provided security personnel to Mr. Obama a record nine months prior to the commencement of Democratic primary voting for the presidential election.
- In his letter, Dennis Kucinich, who served in Congress for 16 years and has a long-standing relationship with President Biden, expressed deep concern over the safety of Democratic Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The letter urged President Biden to provide Secret Service protection to Kennedy, citing his high polling numbers and the historical context of political assassinations within the Kennedy family as compelling reasons for such protection.
- In July 2023, RFK Jr.'s campaign submitted a request for Secret Service protection citing a comprehensive 67-page report from a renowned security firm, highlighting specific and well-documented security risks beyond the usual threats. Kennedy noted that his request for protection went unanswered for 88 days before Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas finally stated that Secret Service protection for him is not currently warranted.
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