Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may still be in the 2024 presidential race, having switched from a Democratic primary challenger to running as an independent back in October, but he'll have to continue doing so without Secret Service protection. As our sister site of Twitchy highlighted, citing the Desert News, the Biden administration rejected the candidate's request for Secret Service protection for a third time.
Homeland Security gave no explanation for rejecting our application. Law says all “major candidates” get protection. I’m polling 22% (and 40% among young voters — beating both Biden and Trump). My opinion may be biased, but that seems pretty “major” to me.
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) December 23, 2023
As the Desert News, which received a copy of the rejection letter, noted:
The letter, signed by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, says that USSS protection for Kennedy is “not warranted.” The letter’s veracity was confirmed Friday night by the Kennedy campaign.
“I have consulted with an advisory committee composed of the Speaker of the House, the House Minority Leader, the Senate Majority Leader, the Senate Minority Leader, and the Senate Sergeant at Arms,” Mayorkas wrote. “Based on the facts and the recommendation of the advisory committee, I have determined that Secret Service protection for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is not warranted at this time.”
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment.
RFK Jr. had also been rejected protections in October and in July, despite how an intruder twice climbed the fence at his house, and how an armed man impersonating a U.S. Marshal was arrested at one of his campaign events in Los Angeles back in September. The man was detained by private security. Robert F. Kennedy, the candidate's father, was assassinated in 1968 during his own presidential campaign.
When it comes to a hypothetical rematch of 2020 between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, the latter has consistently enjoys a lead. Some polls, such as those from Cygnal, even show RFK Jr. being in the race helps Trump.
As RFK Jr. noted in his post to X about being denied such protections yet again, he's polling at significant numbers for an independent. This is especially true among young people. Although younger voters helped elect Biden in 2020, they're now souring on the current president, and are instead favoring RFK Jr. or even Trump.
Last Wednesday, Newsweek published RFK Jr.'s op-ed, "Why So Many Young Americans Support My Presidential Campaign," which was featured in the Tuesday edition of RealClearPolitics (RCP). In his op-ed, he cites recent polls from The New York Times/Siena College as well as from Quinnipiac.
RFK Jr. may also even qualify for the debate stage for events taking place in Texas, Virginia, and Utah, which would make him the first independent candidate in more than thirty years to participate in the debates. Candidates must be polling with at least 15 percent support, and RCP currently has him not far behind that threshold, with 13 percent support. Ross Perot participated in the debates for the 1992 election.