Staff Reports
Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is once again calling on the Biden administration for Secret Service protection after a trespasser was arrested twice in one day outside his home in Los Angeles. Kennedy tweeted about the incident, stating that the intruder climbed his fence and was subsequently arrested. However, after being released from custody, the intruder returned to Kennedy’s home and was arrested again.
The alleged trespasser has been identified as 28-year-old Jonathan Macht of Pacific Palisades, California. He was first arrested on suspicion of trespassing and issued an emergency protective order in the morning. Later in the day, he was arrested again for violating the protective order, as Kennedy’s security team detained him outside the candidate’s home.
Kennedy’s private security firm, Gavin de Becker & Associates, has informed the Secret Service multiple times about Macht. According to Kennedy’s campaign, Macht has exhibited an “obsession” with Kennedy and has sent alarming communications to the candidate. The campaign claims to have submitted formal requests for Secret Service protection, but the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has refused to approve it.
I’m very grateful that alert and fast-acting protectors from Gavin de Becker and Associates (GDBA) spotted and detained an armed man who attempted to approach me at my Hispanic Heritage speech at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles tonight. The man, wearing two shoulder… pic.twitter.com/vvJc0Gtk4o
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) September 16, 2023
This ongoing issue raises concerns about the safety of presidential candidates and the Biden administration’s response to these requests. The campaign argues that every presidential administration for the past 55 years has provided early protection to candidates who requested it, except for the Biden administration. With Macht’s apparent fixation on Kennedy and his alleged hostility, it is critical that Secret Service protection is granted to ensure the safety of the candidate and the general public.
This is not the first incident involving security concerns for Kennedy. Just last month, an armed man posing as Kennedy’s security detail was apprehended at an event in California. Kennedy expressed gratitude towards his security firm for swiftly identifying and detaining the individual. These incidents should serve as a wake-up call for the Biden administration to prioritize the safety of presidential candidates, especially in light of the escalating threats and violent acts seen in today’s political climate.
