A select group of prominent congressional leaders has proposed that Republican contender Nikki Haley be provided with security protection by the U.S. Secret Service due to a reported escalation in threats during her presidential campaign, according to an individual familiar with the situation who spoke to The Associated Press.
Following an assessment of the severity of the threats and an examination of national polling data, the committee of leaders voted in favor of recommending the provision of a protective detail for Haley.
This recommendation has been passed on to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who holds the authority to make the final decision. The Secret Service has already assembled standby security teams, and upon approval, the protective detail could be swiftly deployed to safeguard the former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador.
The individual disclosing this information to AP did so on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the specifics of the security arrangement publicly.
According to legal obligations, the Secret Service is mandated to provide protection for presidential and vice-presidential candidates and their families 120 days before a general election. However, the Department of Homeland Security has acknowledged a trend of earlier requests for candidate protection in its 2024 budget overview.
Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump currently benefit from such protection, as do major party presidential candidates, a measure instituted following the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in 1968.
Haley, without elaborating on the nature of the threats she has encountered, made the request for security earlier this month, citing “multiple issues” related to security during her year-long campaign in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. Instances of protesters disrupting her campaign events have been observed, including a recent rally in Dallas where over 10 individuals were escorted out following disruptions during her speech.
In addition to these concerns, Haley revealed that her residence on Kiawah Island, South Carolina, was the target of a “swatting” hoax in December, one of two similar incidents in recent weeks as per police records.
During a recent appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Haley recounted a distressing incident in December when law enforcement officers arrived at her home with weapons drawn after receiving a false report of a crime. The situation, which she described as “awful,” unfolded while neither she nor her adult son were present, as her husband is currently deployed with the South Carolina Army National Guard in Africa.
Despite months of traveling with personal security, Haley has increasingly found herself in need of additional protective measures, leading to the recent request for Secret Service protection. Other candidates, including independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have also sought similar security measures this election cycle but have been denied.
