Biden orders Secret Service protection for Kennedy after Trump shooting

US President Joe Biden has ordered Secret Service protection for independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, the Homeland Security Chief said.

"In light of this weekend's events, the president has directed me to work with the Secret Service to provide protection to Robert Kennedy Jr," Alejandro Mayorkas told a White House briefing on Monday.

Kennedy, the scion of America's most famous political clan, is an environmental lawyer and long-time vaccine sceptic.

"Thank you to President Biden for granting me Secret Service protection," Kennedy said on X after the announcement.

The 70-year-old also pointedly thanked a private security firm "for keeping me safe for the last 15 months of my presidential campaign."

Former President Trump had called earlier in the day for Secret Service protection to be extended to Kennedy.

"In light of what is going on in the world today, I believe it is imperative that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. receive Secret Service protection — immediately. Given the history of the Kennedy Family, this is the obvious right thing to do!"

Trump posted on social media. Kennedy's father, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, and uncle, president John F. Kennedy, were both assassinated in shootings in the 1960s.

The 78-year-old Trump was injured but survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, a brazen attack that shocked a nation already deeply polarised ahead of the November election.

Kennedy, Trump meet

Kennedy met with Trump in Milwaukee on Monday, but he denied a report in Politico that he had discussed the possibility of endorsing the Republican.

"Lots of rumours going around about my meeting this morning with President Trump. Our main topic was national unity, and I hope to meet with Democratic leaders about that as well," he said.

"No, I am not dropping out of the race."

With a famous name and a loyal base, Kennedy has the potential to do better than any third-party presidential candidate since Ross Perot in the 1990s.

But he didn't participate in the first presidential debate on June 27. Both the Biden and Trump campaigns, who fear he could be a spoiler, bypassed the nonpartisan debate commission and agreed to a schedule that essentially left out Kennedy.

Kennedy, who last year challenged Biden for the Democratic nomination before launching an independent bid, has argued that his relatively strong showing in a few national polls gives his candidacy heft.