Robert F. Kennedy Jr. officially lost his U.S. Secret Service (USSS) protection on Monday, just days after withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race.
Kennedy's press secretary confirmed the change in a statement to CBS News. Kennedy had gone through a lengthy process to receive USSS protection in the first place, and his initial applications had been rejected earlier in the cycle.
It wasn't until the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in July that President Biden ordered Kennedy to receive Secret Service protection as well.
“In light of the events of this weekend, the President has directed me to work with the Secret Service to provide protection for Robert Kennedy, Jr., both before and after the events of this past weekend,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced shortly after Trump was shot.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. officially lost his Secret Service protection on Monday, just days after withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)
However, the candidate dropped out of the race on Friday and endorsed former President Trump.
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Kennedy spoke at length Sunday about the “unity government” he and Trump support. He said the former president agreed to move forward on key issues that led to his campaign, such as ending the war in Ukraine, combating censorship and improving the health of children in the United States.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did not receive Secret Service protection until after the July assassination attempt on former President Trump, right.
Trump campaign pollsters say they are already seeing Kennedy supporters coming closer to the former president. Polls before Kennedy's withdrawal indicated he was in the polls 5% or 6% support in key states like Pennsylvania and Ohio.
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Kennedy has also hinted that Trump is likely to announce more additions to the so-called unity government in the near future.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, hinted that more Democrats will join former President Donald Trump's “unity government” in the near future. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
“This is just the beginning. Wait until you see the next additions to President Trump's Unity Government,” he wrote on X.
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On Sunday morning, Kennedy appeared on “Fox News Sunday” for an interview with anchor Shannon Bream. There, he defended his decision to support Trump despite his previous criticism of the former president. He argued that Americans may disagree But they still get along and work to make progress in the areas they agree on.
