An armed man was arrested at an event being held by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Los Angeles at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre.
The facts surrounding the matter sound concerning. The man is accused of impersonating a U.S. Marshal and he allegedly claimed that he was part of Kennedy’s security team.
Here’s what Kennedy posted about the incident on X.
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
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 holsters with loaded pistols and spare ammunition magazines was carrying a U.S. Marshal badge on a lanyard and beltclip federal ID. He identified himself as a member of my security detail. Armed GDBA team members moved quickly to isolate and detain the man until LAPD arrived to make the arrest. I’m also grateful to LAPD for its rapid response.
It sounds like they managed to get to the man before anything happened, so kudos to Gavin de Becker’s team. But given the facts and the Kennedy history, one has to be very concerned about what the man’s intentions were. Allegedly pretending to be part of his security team and pretending to be a federal officer while wearing guns sets off all kinds of alarms.
While the FBI has been notified, the LAPD is going to be the lead agency investigating the matter. The Wilshire Station’s watch commander said that the man would “probably be booked on a gun charge.”
Kennedy Jr.’s father was assassinated less than two miles away at the Ambassador Hotel during his run for president on June 5, 1968. His uncle, President John F. Kennedy was also assassinated in November 1963. As we reported, new information has now come out about that assassination from one of the Secret Service agents who was present which raises big questions about the “magic bullet theory” and the possibility of another shooter.
However, even given that history, Joe Biden has not chosen to extend Secret Service protection to his opponent for the Democratic nomination.
RFK Jr. was not happy and he blasted Biden in his X comment on the incident.
I’m still entertaining a hope that President Biden will allow me Secret Service protection. I am the first presidential candidate in history to whom the White House has denied a request for protection.
But so far, Biden hasn’t been moved to authorize any protection for him. Secret Service protection is generally provided to major presidential candidates within 120 days of the general election and we’re still some time out from that. DHS head Alejandro Mayorkas said in July that Secret Service protection for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “is not warranted at this time.” Yet protection was provided to people like Barack Obama in 2008 because he received threats and RFK Jr. has been receiving threats.
I’m just thinking Biden may want to re-evaluate that thought. Right now he’s looking petty and small with all this. This incident just raises the issue again of how important protection is here, and if anything worse were to happen, he’d look a lot worse than just petty and small.
