Washington — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who dropped his third-party presidential bid last week and approved former President Donald Trump, has lost his Secret Service protection after deciding to drop out of the race, his campaign said.
“Mr. Kennedy no longer has USSS,” Stefanie Spear, Kennedy’s press secretary, told CBS News.
In a statement in Phoenix on Friday, Kennedy said he supported Trump because he could see no viable path to the White House. And while he said he is not “discontinuing” his campaign — remaining on the ballot in some non-contested states — he vowed to remove his name from states where he could be a spoiler. Kennedy was on the ballot in more than 20 states when he canceled his White House bid.
President Biden directed Secret Service to provide protection for Kennedy after the assassination attempt on Trump in July. Kennedy’s campaign had long requested protection for the independent presidential candidate — an issue that was particularly acute for Kennedy, whose father and uncle were assassinated in the 1960s.
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The Secret Service is required by law to protect major presidential candidates and their spouses within 120 days of a general election. Other candidates may be designated for protection as needed.