On the 56th anniversary of his father’s assassination, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent presidential candidate, once again requested Secret Service protection, citing his family history as a reason for being at risk of being targeted. In an interview on Fox News, Mr. Kennedy, who was with his father when he was killed in 1968, emphasized the need for protection, suggesting that the White House was involved in the decision to deny his requests.
Mr. Kennedy has been seeking Secret Service protection for over a year, even before his independent candidacy. Despite facing break-ins at his California home and an incident where an armed man was arrested at a campaign event, his requests have been consistently denied. He pointed out these incidents as examples of why he needs additional security measures.
Alejandro Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, who has the authority to approve Secret Service protection requests, has declined Mr. Kennedy’s requests based on the recommendation of a panel of top congressional leaders. The criteria for receiving Secret Service protection give preference to major-party candidates, with a polling threshold of 15 percent for Democrats and Republicans and 20 percent for independents or third-party candidates.
Mr. Kennedy, polling at an average of 10 percent nationally, falls short of the threshold required for Secret Service protection. The rules for providing protection to presidential candidates have evolved over time, with a history of being restrictive for third-party candidates.
Mr. Kennedy argued that candidates with lower poll numbers and less risk have been granted Secret Service protection in the past. He referenced Jesse Jackson as an example of someone with lower polling numbers who received protection, although Mr. Jackson ran as a Democrat and reached a polling percentage of 20 at one point in his campaign.
