Joe Biden orders Secret Service protection for Robert F. Kennedy Jr

The ­US Secret Service on Monday also vowed to co-operate with an independent review ordered by Joe Biden.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr meet Donald Trump on Monday on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Picture: AFP

Joe Biden has ­ordered US Secret Service protection for independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr, days after a gunman opened fire on Donald Trump.

“In light of this weekend’s events, the President has directed me to work with the Secret Service to provide protection to Robert Kennedy Jr,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told a White House briefing.

Facing growing criticism over a massive security failure, the ­Secret Service on Monday vowed to co-operate with an independent review ordered by Mr Biden overnight on Monday.

“The Secret Service is working with all involved federal, state and local agencies to understand what happened, how it happened, and how we can prevent an incident like this from ever taking place again,” agency director Kimberly Cheatle said. “We understand the importance of the independent review announced by President Biden yesterday and will participate fully.”

Mr Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and long-time vaccine sceptic has no chance of winning in November, but his candidacy could sway close contests in key swing states.

“Thank you to President Biden for granting me Secret ­Service protection,” Mr Kennedy said on X. The 70-year-old also pointedly thanked a private ­security firm “for keeping me safe for the last 15 months of my presidential campaign”.

Earlier in the day, Mr Trump had called for Secret Service protection for Mr Kennedy “in light of what is going on in the world today”.

“Given the history of the Kennedy family, this is the obvious right thing to do!” Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social web site.

Mr Trump met Mr Kennedy on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention on Monday. Mr Kennedy’s presence in Milwaukee sparked speculation that he may consider endorsing the Republican nominee. A spokeswoman denied that, saying Mr Kennedy had no plans to end his bid for the White House or offer an endorsement to Mr Trump.

Mr Kennedy’s uncle, president John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in Dallas, Texas in 1963. Five years later, the candidate’s father, Robert, was shot dead in Los Angeles while on the campaign trail.

Mr Trump, 78, was injured but survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

The former president was speaking at a rally in the town of Butler when multiple shots rang out. He clutched his ear, with blood visible on his ear and cheek, then ducked to the floor as Secret Service agents swarmed onto the ­podium, surrounding him and rushing him to a nearby vehicle.

The shooter and a bystander were killed, and two spectators injured. Newly surfaced video backed up reports from witnesses that they had called out to police and physically pointed at the shooter as he lay on the roof preparing to open fire, The Washington Post reported on Monday.

The shots targeting Mr Trump rang out 86 seconds after the first audible attempts to warn the police, the Post said, citing an analysis of video clips from the scene of the attack.

Mr Biden ordered a review of the security at the rally, as well as at this week’s Republican National Convention, where Mr Trump will be crowned the party’s presidential nominee.

In an interview with NBC on Monday, the President said he felt “safe with the Secret Service” but added it was an “open question” whether they should have better anticipated the shooting at the Trump rally.

The Secret Service faces intense scrutiny over how a gunman aiming an assault rifle was able to take position on a roof 130m from one of the most protected political figures on the planet.

With Mr Trump set to star at the convention, Ms Cheatle said the agency was working to toughen security.

The Secret Service designs plans for major events “to respond to a kinetic security environment and the most up-to-date intelligence”, she said.

The agency is responsible for the safety of the president, vice-president and former presidents, and their families, as well as major election candidates and visiting foreign heads of state.

AFP