Of course, it's Obama's fault
On
Tuesday, Donald Trump whined that because of that evil black man in the White
House, he is being denied the Secret Service protection he so much deserves.
In
an interview with The Hill, the GOP
frontrunner pointed out that he has attracted large crowds that rival the size
of President Obama’s supporters at this same point in the Kenyan usurper’s 2008
presidential campaign.
At that point, because of concerns that someone —
likely a person who now supports Trump — would harm Obama, he was placed under Secret Service watch 18
months before the election — the earliest a candidate has ever been given
protection from the agency.
Trump, of course, feels that he faces similar
danger to a black man besieged by an army of racists:
“I want to put them on notice because they should have a liability.
Personally, I think if Obama were doing as well as me he would’ve had Secret
Service [earlier in his campaign]. I have by far the biggest crowds.”
No
specific threat prompted Obama’s especially-early Secret Service protection,
but there were enough threats being thrown around that it was deemed necessary
to protect the life of the former Illinois Senator.
Trump’s private security
officers described discussions regarding the billionaire’s own Secret Service
detail as “preliminary,” and they’re probably right: the discussions are sopreliminary
that the Department of Homeland Security hasn’t heard
from the Trump camp on the issue.
“They’re
in no rush because I’m a Republican. They don’t give a shit,” Trump
said. “Of course I don’t think they’d want anything to happen. But I would
think they should be very proactive and want protection for somebody like me
that has 20,000 people at any time. You would think that they would want to be
very proactive, but we have not heard from them.”
It
is, of course, Trump’s responsibility to request Secret Service protection,
which he has not yet done. According to the DHS spokeswoman, Trump’s request —
if it ever happens — will be considered after a bipartisan advisory committee
reviews it.
“If
a request is received, this authorization is determined by the Secretary of
Homeland Security after consultation with a congressional advisory committee
which includes the Speaker of the House, House Minority Leader, Senate Majority
Leader, Senate Minority Leader, and one additional member selected by the
aforementioned committee,” DHS press secretary Marsha Catron said in a
statement.
Until
1968, presidential candidates were responsible for proving their own security,
but Robert Kennedy’s assassination inspired the agency’s protection to be
extended selectively to candidates.
Generally, they must have raised at least
$2 million and get at least 5 percent support in national polls. Trump, despite
claiming that he doesn’t need fundraising, has not yet managed (despite his best
efforts) to raise the required $2 million to be considered a viable candidate
with regard to Secret Service detail:
Interestingly,
most of Trump’s “raised” money — $1.8 million — is self-financed. If he does reach the minimum threshold
required to receive taxpayer-funded protection, it will be because he
effectively bought it.
Despite
that he doesn’t qualify for protection and has not asked for it, conservatives
at World Net Daily are convinced that there’s some sort of evil, anti-Trump
conspiracy:
No one can deny that Trump is popular with closet
racists and others on the Right. Of course, his popularity is the only one of
several qualifiers for Secret Service protection that The Donald has met. But,
hey, facts don’t matter, right, Conservatives? Not as long as you can pretend
that one of your own is being persecuted.
