WASHINGTON, USA: US President Joe Biden has directed the Secret Service to provide protection for independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. Homeland Security Chief Alejandro Mayorkas announced this at a White House briefing on Monday.
Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and vaccine skeptic from America’s most famous political family, expressed gratitude towards Biden for the protection and thanked his private security firm for their services over the last 15 months of his campaign.
Earlier in the day, Trump had called for Kennedy to receive Secret Service protection, citing the turbulent political climate and the historical assassinations of Kennedy’s father, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, and his uncle, President John F. Kennedy.
The 78-year-old Trump survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, an incident that has further heightened tensions in the lead-up to the November election.
Kennedy, who met with Trump in Milwaukee on Monday, dismissed rumors about endorsing Trump. He clarified that their discussion focused on national unity and expressed his intention to meet with Democratic leaders as well. Kennedy reaffirmed his commitment to his presidential campaign, stating, “No, I am not dropping out of the race.”
With his notable name and loyal base, Kennedy has the potential to outperform any third-party presidential candidate since Ross Perot in the 1990s. Despite his strong showing in some national polls, Kennedy did not participate in the first presidential debate on June 27, as both the Biden and Trump campaigns bypassed the nonpartisan debate commission, effectively excluding him from the schedule.
Kennedy initially challenged Biden for the Democratic nomination before launching his independent bid, emphasizing that his relatively strong polling underscores the viability of his candidacy.
