Denial of Secret Service Protection for RFK Jr.
In response to the controversy of Bobby Kennedy not being granted Secret Service protection back in July of 2023 several media companies reported that the protection is only available 120 days (or 4 months) prior to the general election. But the reality is quite different.
As pointed out by former undersecretary for intelligence at DHS, John Cohen,
"The 2024 election cycle is taking place at a time when this country is experiencing probably the most volatile, complex and dynamic threat environment that I've experienced in my 40 years working in law enforcement and homeland security,"
In truth, since 2008 at least 10 Presidential candidates have received security through the Secret Service more than 200 days out from the general election (excluding former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who already had a detail as a former first lady).
Recent examples include both Donald Trump and Dr. Ben Carson who both received Secret Service protection nearly a year before the 2016 election.
And not all that much further back, Jesse Jackson was granted protection 10 weeks before other candidates and Senator John McCain was offered protection more than 500 days pre-election during his run for the Presidency.
Although RFK Jr’s uncle Senator Ted Kennedy and and then President Richard Nixon were very much political enemies, Nixon gave Ted Secret Service protection even though Senator Kennedy had not yet announced his candidacy. Similarly in 1979 when Ted Kennedy was actively challenging then President Jimmy Carter – and then protection applied even 400 days before the Election! Even for their political rivals and enemies these previous Administrations had the decency to offer protection to a Kennedy in light of the dangerous allure and possibility of another Kennedy assassination.
In like manner because Barack Obama was seen as a controversial and potentially endangered Presidential candidate during his 2008 run he received Secret Service protection a full 551 days before the Election.
RFK Jr. is of course a Kennedy and thereby uniquely likely to be a target for assassination when running for President. But Kennedy is an extremely controversial figure as well – having been an effective opponent against some of the largest and most corrupt corporations for decades – not to mention having his name smeared by the media for nearly as long.
But after a long delay the Biden Administration through Secretary Mayorkas refused Bobby’s request for protection, and that was over a half year ago.
None of the media articles challenging Bobby’s request for protection gave any examples of a candidate for the Presidency having previous been denied their request for secret service protection. And and RFK Jr is both the son and namesake of the candidate whose assassination initiated the policy of protection for Presidential candidates!
“In my years with Secret Service, I haven’t seen a request declined to date.”
- A US Secret Service officer – (see video below)
Since then the security company that Kennedy’s campaign has now paid over a million dollars has needed to protect him from at least two intruders - one of them heavily armed. And, now - just recently, Congress has already voted to approve a Secret Service detail for the much lower polling Republican hopeful Nikki Haley – less than a month after she requested protection!
Repeated Break-Ins and A Confrontation with a Heavily Armed Intruder
Back in early July of 2023 a mentally disturbed intruder had broken into RFK Jr’s home although Bobby was not home at that juncture and thus not security were present either. But the man was arrested and was found to have had a history of delusional thoughts about Kennedy – and had even been arrested a year earlier for a similar break in.
Then in October 25th, 2023 the same intruder hopped a fence and broke into the candidate’s home – making it to second story of the building before security personnel spotted him. And this time both RFK Jr and his wife Cheryl Hines were there at home. The man, a 28-year-old realtor, was detained by employees of Gavin de Becker and Associates - the protection service watching over Kennedy - until he was taken into custody by LAPD officers. But soon after he was cited and released and despite a restraining order against him the man made his way back to Kennedy’s home that same day and was again arrested.
Kennedy’s protection service had previously informed the Secret Service about the man, his earlier break in in July and his disturbing communications including 435 emails including one warning Kennedy about getting “a bullet in the brain.”
“It's disappointing to say the very least that the administration is not giving Bobby protection. They know what's happening and they know what has been happening, I can't believe that they are not responding. . . . It takes a lot of effort to protect the candidate, but it's exactly what the Secret Service should be doing."
- actress Cheryl Hines, RFK Jr’s wife
At this point DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who is the head official in charge of the Secret Service, had already refused three formal applications to provide Secret Service protection for Kennedy. - and then it got worse...
Fortunately upon seeing that the man was armed Kennedy’s alert security team from Gavin deBecker and Associates (GDBA) were able to pacify and restrain the armed imposter until LAPD officers arrived to make the arrest.
On September 15th a man attempting impersonate a U.S. Marshal and armed with two loaded pistols and a lot of ammunition was detained at RFK Jr’s speaking engagement during a Hispanic Heritage Month event at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles. The armed and sunglasses-wearing man later identified as 44-year-old Adrian Paul Aispuro claimed to be part of Mr. Kennedy’s security detail and demanded to speak to the candidate immediately.
* This all took place only 2 miles from where Bobby’s father RFK Sr. was assassinated - just down the street at the (now defunct) Ambassador Hotel during his 1968 Presidential campaign.
Later circulation of a TikTok video posted by Aispuro along with an interview with his brother revealed that the potential assailant was a down-on-his-luck supporter of President Trump, with leanings towards MAGA conspiracy theories and a history of watching large quantities of videos about Aliens-UFOs.
Although the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office didn’t file felony charges against Mr Aispuro, he was charged with impersonating an officer, carrying a concealed weapon and carrying a loaded firearm. He was soon released on bond and is apparently as of now a free man.
* When police raided Aispuro’s home they found four rifles with long-range scopes together with an abundant amount of ammunition – a combination frighteningly ideal for an assassination attempt.
Here's a link to much more thorough information about the Aispuro incident: https://thekennedybeacon.substack.com/p/president-bidens-chilling-refusal
“It is astonishing that under such circumstances, you would deny Secret Service coverage to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has polled more than 20% in the first five primary states, and whose net favorability rating exceeds both yours and Donald Trump’s.”
“... Although it is a well-known historical fact, apparently in your case it bears repeating: Mr. Kennedy's uncle, President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated. Mr. Kennedy's father, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated while a presidential candidate.”
- A September 18, 2023 open letter from Kennedy’s then-campaign-manager, Dennis Kucinich to President Biden