Here’s what happened…
The Secret Service is under scrutiny following an incident involving an armed protester near President Joe Biden’s residence in Wilmington, Delaware.
According to Newsweek, a lone protester, dressed in a neon yellow and orange safety vest, khaki cargo shorts, and tan boots, was observed walking down the road towards President Biden’s home on a Sunday afternoon, as reported by a White House pool correspondent. Notably, the protester appeared to have a holstered firearm.
Carrying a sign that bore messages such as “Bidens are criminals, 20 shell companies?! Where’s the laptop? 10% for the big guy” on one side and “Joe has aliases?! Robert L. Peters, Robin Ware, JRN Ware” on the other, the individual’s presence raised concerns.
While it remains unclear whether the man was asked to vacate the area, the pool report indicated that a Secret Service vehicle trailed him as he proceeded down the road.
At approximately 1:20 p.m., another pool report noted that reporters were able to spot the protester down the road as President Biden’s motorcade passed by.
Steve Kopek, a spokesperson for the U.S. Secret Service, commented, “The individual exercising his constitutional rights did not impact the movements of any of the Secret Service’s protectees.”
Criticism of the Secret Service’s handling of the situation emerged on social media platforms. One individual shared their astonishment, stating, “An armed man approached President Biden’s home, and this is how Secret Service responded. Just… wow,” alongside a screenshot of the agency’s statement.
While Delaware allows open carry, some observers pointed out that this should not imply that armed individuals should be permitted in close proximity to the president. “Since when did the US Secret Service allow armed individuals near the president’s residence?” queried another person. “Wherever the president is, it falls under federal jurisdiction, rendering open carry irrelevant. He is the highest federal protectee.”
President Biden and his family frequently make weekend visits to their residences in Wilmington and Delaware’s Rehoboth Beach. On this occasion, he arrived in Wilmington on Friday, attended a church service on Saturday, returned to the White House on Sunday, and later traveled to New York in preparation for the U.N. General Assembly.
This incident follows a separate case in which an armed man, accused of impersonating a federal officer, was apprehended outside a theater in Los Angeles, where Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was scheduled to deliver a speech. Kennedy’s campaign stated that his requests for Secret Service protection had been denied and that he intends to reapply for it this month. “I’m still holding out hope that President Biden will grant me Secret Service protection,” Kennedy expressed on X, formerly known as Twitter.
LOOK:
Caught on camera: ARMED protester outside POTUS residence in Wilmington. pic.twitter.com/5AXOn9Uf9q
— Tommy moderna-vaX-Topher (@tommyxtopher) September 17, 2023