President Joe Biden has ordered the Secret Service to protect independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. following an attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump.
Kennedy, though a longshot candidate as an independent, has drawn large crowds and interest in his campaign events.
The big picture: The Secret Service protection for third-party candidates like Kennedy is provided on an as-needed basis, unlike major party candidates who receive protection 120 days before the general election.
- Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Biden had directed Secret Service protection for Kennedy before and after the assassination attempt on Trump.
- Trump’s protection, Mayorkas added, has been enhanced.
