Secret Service Says Independent Presidential Candidates Need 20% Showing in Polls

Posted on by July 14, 2024

The July 13 incident in Butler, Pennsylvania, has brought increased attention to the denial of Secret Service protection for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. This Newsweek story says the Secret Service says candidates need to be at 20% in polls in order to obtain protection.

Comments

Secret Service Says Independent Presidential Candidates Need 20% Showing in Polls — 38 Comments

  3. Not only “which polls”, but also the “30 days” part is ridiculous … these are not concrete rules

  5. Second, given the apparent clusterfuckery of the Secret Service yesterday, would this really be of that much benefit anyway?

  6. Five percent would work better. The federal government uses that for matching funding, ect. Note to Hector Roos–I read one poll that said RFK, Jr. was polling at 22 percent.

  7. Has Kennedy released a statement yet regarding the attempt on Trump’s life, perhaps even comparing it to his father and/or his uncle’s assassinations? I haven’t seen any.

    This would be a politically expedient moment for them to get over their egos, join forces and announce a Trump-Kennedy ticket. (They won’t.)

  8. WHAT HACK IN THE WHITE HOUSE CONTROLS THE SS ???

    Z-E-R-O LEARNED FROM 1963 MURDER OF JFK ??? —

    NOOOOOOOOO OPEN EVENTS —- WHEN NOT TOTAL CONTROL OF THE HIGH GROUND —

    EG THE 6TH FLOOR OF THE TX SCHOOL BOOK DEPOS BLDG IN THE JFK CASE.

    BIT HIGHER BLDGS IN THE TRUMP CASE.

    SOOO NOW —- AT LEAST BANK/STORE TYPE BULLET PROOF GLASS/PLASTIC AT PODIUMS ???

    INTENTIONAL NEGLECT OF PA STATE/LOCAL COPS TO SECURE HIGH GROUND AT TRUMP EVENT — OUTSIDE OF SS INNER ZONE ???

    NOOOOO SECURITY DRONES AT PA EVENT ???

    HIGH/LOW DRONES HAVE BEEN AROUND HOW LONG – 10-20-30- YEARS ???

    BETTER TO HAVE INSP CLOSEAU OF PINK PANTHER MOVIES STOPPING KILLERS ???
    —
    ANY NEW AGE DRUGGED/BRAINWASHED ***MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE*** FOLKS AT BOTH D/R CONVENTIONS ??? SEE NOW OLDE 1960 MOVIE.

  10. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2024/07/14/trump-campaign-senior-advisers-say-great-spirits-doing-well-shooting-assassination/74399543007/

    Officer encountered gunman just before he shot toward Trump at rally, sources say

    Julie Carr Smyth, Jill Colvin, Colleen Long, Michael Balsamo, Eric Tucker and Michelle L. Price
    Associated Press

    Butler, Pa. — On the heels of an apparent attempt to kill him, former President Donald Trump called Sunday for unity and resilience as shocked leaders across the political divide recoiled from the shooting that left him wounded but “fine.”
    ******
    Not long before shots rang out, rallygoers noticed a man climbing to the roof of a nearby building and warned local police, according to two law enforcement officials.

    One local police officer climbed to the roof and encountered Crooks, who pointed his rifle at the officer.

    The officer retreated down the ladder, and Crooks quickly took a shot toward Trump, and that’s when Secret Service snipers shot him, said the officials, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.
    —
    SOME TOTAL PRESSURE COMING ON SUCH *LOCAL POLICE OFFICER* ???

    —
    BIDEN SPEECH 8 PM EDT TONIGHT – SUN

  13. Incident? It was an assassination attempt. Richard Winger needs to turn off CNN and report what actually happened.

  14. Comrade Dave,

    Are you sure? I’m not. At the moment, I’m leaning towards “successfully staged impersonation of an assassination attempt”.

    I’m not ruling out the possibility that it was an actual assassination attempt, but that seems less and less likely the more I learn about it.

    I don’t know how much you’ve learned about it, where, how, what you do or don’t know otherwise, etc.

    It just seems like a rather obviously staged production to me, as an actress, playwright, theater producer, props and stage manager myself.

    What makes you think it was an actual assassination attempt?

  15. Ladies and gentlemen,

    I smell a rat. It’s sitting on a big ole pile of bullcrap.

    The secret service would know to sweep and post agents on any roofs within a mile, much less 150 or 160 yards. They didn’t spot the shooter when people in the crowd were trying to point him out?

    8 rounds before return fire?

    The FBI can’t access the shooter’s phone?

    This 20 year old had little or no social media or online presence?

    Some initial eyewitness accounts mentioned a second shooter, but naturally nothing since then.

    78 year old Donald Trump, who never served (much less in combat) or worked in law enforcement or ever had any kind of dangerous life – certainly not in many decades – had the instincts to hit the deck immediately rather than freezing up or looking around in confusion, and then to raise his fist repeatedly in defiance (how did he or his detail know the threat was fully neutralized at that point? How would they know the shooter was acting alone, even if he was?)

    There’s way more – way, way more.

    The leftist donation and Republican registration is the least suspicious part.

    Many things don’t add up here.

  16. “read one poll that said RFK, Jr. was polling at 22 percent.”

    Do you remember which poll and when?

  17. https://www.secretservice.gov/protection/leaders/campaign-2024

    “When determining whether a candidate for the Office of President or Vice President of the United States qualifies as a major candidate, the Secretary has broad discretion and may consider a variety of factors. These factors include, but are not limited to:

    Whether the candidate has publicly announced his or her candidacy and has filed the appropriate documentation with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and is in compliance with the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended, and related laws;

    Whether the candidate is actively campaigning on a national basis for the office for which his or her candidacy has been announced, as demonstrated by operating a national campaign apparatus, regularly appearing at public events in multiple states, producing and publishing campaign advertisements, and other similar indicia of a campaign;

    A threat assessment conducted by the Secret Service of general or specific threats directed towards the candidate (for these purposes, “threats” should be defined as explicit threats of bodily harm to the candidate or indications of inappropriate behavior towards the candidate suggesting potential bodily harm);

    Whether, during and within an active and competitive major party primary, the most recent average of established national polls, as reflected by the Real Clear Politics National Average or similar mechanism, the candidate is polling at 15% or more for 30 consecutive days;
    Whether the candidate is the formal or de facto nominee of a major party for President or Vice President;

    Whether the candidate is an independent or third-party candidate for President polling at 20% or more of the Real Clear Politics National Average for 30 consecutive days;

    Whether the candidate is the Vice Presidential running mate of the above independent or third-party candidate.”

  19. That’s not …

    an independent or third-party candidate for President polling at 20% or more of the Real Clear Politics National Average for 30 consecutive days;

  20. However, the real answer is

    the Secretary has broad discretion and may consider a variety of factors. These factors include, but are not limited to:

  21. Dave,

    What actually happened is that two people died and two people were seriously wounded, and one guy got a superficial ear wound. Pretty much everything else is speculation, including whether one of the guys who died was actually trying to kill the guy who was least seriously injured.

    That last guy has been seeking fame as a celebrity businessman, celebrity entertainer, and celebrity politician for over 40 years successfully, and maybe much longer less successfully. He always sought controversy and acted as a polarizing lightning rod, for better or for worse. In our violent society, that comes with a much higher risk of someone(s) shooting at or in the direction of any such person than other pursuits.

    It’s not particularly shocking when it happens. But then, being rich/powerful/famous/controversial have always been risk factors, including of violent death. That doesn’t make us geographically or historically unique by any means.

    One of the guys who died brought a weapon near a political rally heavily attended by various levels of armed law enforcement, climbed up on a roof, and started shooting at folks. The chances of being shot and killed while doing that are extremely high.

    Both of those guys knew they were doing something dangerous. One is dead, and one is slightly wounded and politically strengthened.

    The other guy who died, Corey Comperatore, was to my knowledge not doing anything he should have had any reason to expect would be dangerous – he went with his wife and two daughters to a political rally, along with thousands of other people, and died protecting them from bullets shot by someone who, at best, didn’t care whether there would be “collateral damage.”

    The two guys who were seriously wounded (earlier I saw critical condition, right now the report is still hospitalized and in stable condition) also, to my knowledge, we’re just going to that political rally and not doing anything they would have any reason to expect to be dangerous.

    Even if the two guys who were seriously injured and Mr. Comperatore would not (have) agree(d) with me, I think their lives and health aren’t any less important than those of soldiers and generals at war, presidents, kings, or presidential candidates.

  23. This seems like more BS from the Head of the USSS. She needs to step down after what happened to President Trump. She clearly is not capable of doing this job.

  26. https://moritzlaw.osu.edu/faculty-research/election-law-ohio-state/task-force-institutional-reforms-combat-political

    ANOTHER PROFS TF – ELECTION REFORMS
    —
    • The Electoral Reform Imperative—the Editors.
    • Ballot Structure—E.B. Foley.
    • Proportional Representation—L. Drutman.
    • Why Proportional Representation Could Make Things Worse—R.H. Pildes et al.
    • Primary Elections—R. Boatright et al.
    • Presidential Nominations—R. Pildes and F. Lee.
    • Campaign Finance—L. Raja.
    • Conclusion—the Editors.

  29. From Reason hit and run…

    The authorities have identified him as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. He used what looks like an AR-15 purchased by his father to shoot at Trump from a nearby roof outside the security perimeter, apparently undetected by local police and Secret Service. Nearby onlookers also outside the security perimeter tried to alert police to the existence of the gunman and his rifle, per a BBC interview; police apparently failed to heed the warning. Little is known about the gunman, who seemingly left no manifesto and had very little public online footprint. He appears to have been a registered Republican who had given money to Democratic causes around the time of Joe Biden’s inauguration. His mother is a registered Democrat, his father a Libertarian.

  30. Tl;Dr

    The rifle was registered to a registered libertarian. Obviously, the L.P. was in on the conspiracy, at the very least.

    As further evidence, they recently invited Trump just to boo him. They hate Trump. They tried to kill Trump. Case closed.

  31. Ace detective work, cobolp!

    Connecting even more dots, the el pee is running an ex cop for VP.

    Police failed to heed the warnings of onlookers about the shooter…libertarians are running a cop on their presidential ticket…libertarians booed Trump…a rifle registered to a libertarian was used to try to assassinate Trump.

    Clearly, a libertarian – police (deep) state conspiracy against Trump!

  33. ONE MORE REASON TO NOT HAVE PUBLIC PARTY REGISTRATIONS. >>> PURGE LISTS

    ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN A MEMBER OF THE AAA TO ZZZ PARTIES ???

    LINE THEM UP — READY AIM FIRE — SEE ESP THE 1936-1939 SPANISH CIVIL WAR — BOTH SIDES TO MANY WALLS
    —
    NOOOOOO EXTREMIST CAUCUSES / PRIMARIES / CONVENTIONS
    —
    EQUAL BALLOT ACCESS VIA EQAUL NOM PETS / FILING FEES
    PR
    APPV
    TOTSOP
    —

    SEN JD VANCE OF OHIO IS TRUMP PUPPET CHOICE FOR VP

    TRUMP NOMINATED IN MILW — DAY 1 OF MOB SCENE

    ZERO MORE RATINGS – UNTIL TRUMP SPEECH ON THURS ???

    ZERO ELECTION REFORMS IN ELEPHANT PLATFORM ???

  35. Yep RFK Jr gets SS protection after asking about 6 times when Trump made statement supporting SS for Kennedy today

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