Legal analyst Alan Dershowitz issued a warning on Sunday regarding recently proposed legislation aiming to revoke Secret Service protection for felons. Dershowitz expressed concern, suggesting that Democrats may harbor intentions of causing harm to former President Donald Trump.
Representative Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat and the ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, introduced a bill called the DISGRACED Act on Friday. This act aims to put an end to Secret Service protection for individuals who have been convicted of state or local felonies.
Thompson specifically mentions Trump as someone whose protection privileges would be affected if he is found guilty. Trump, who is the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee, is facing four criminal indictments. He has become the first former president in U.S. history to stand trial in a criminal case, which began on Monday.
In March 2023, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office conducted an investigation that led to the indictment of Trump. The charges against him pertain to falsifying business records connected to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign. Daniels claims that she had an affair with Trump in 2006, an allegation he has consistently denied. Trump maintains his innocence and believes that the case brought against him is politically motivated.
During an interview with Newsmax on Sunday, Alan Dershowitz, a constitutional law and criminal lawyer who was a part of Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment in 2020, discussed the legislation. The bill is co-sponsored by eight Democratic representatives.
Host Jon Glasgow asked his guest, Bennie Thompson, for his thoughts on the proposal to strip Donald Trump of Secret Service protection if he is convicted of a crime. Thompson believes that Trump should not have Secret Service protection if he is behind bars.
According to Dershowitz, it is absurd that Donald Trump does not have Secret Service protection, considering the potential threats he may face. In this day and age, everyone is at risk, and Trump, being a prominent figure, should be provided with the necessary security measures. Dershowitz further suggests that if Trump were to be imprisoned, it would be mandatory for him to receive Secret Service protection, as the law dictates.
“He’s going to bluff, fine, and threaten,” Juan Merchan, the judge, added, “but throwing Donald Trump in jail is not something he’s likely to do. It would be a definite win for us… I don’t see it happening.”
The bill has been co-sponsored by eight Democratic representatives. They include Troy Carter from Louisiana, Barbara Lee from California, Frederica Wilson from Florida, Yvette Clarke from New York, Bonnie Watson Coleman from New Jersey, Jasmine Crockett from Texas, Joyce Beatty from Ohio, and Steve Cohen from Tennessee.
The bill, however, would only apply to individuals who have committed an offense that carries a minimum prison sentence of one year.
Thompson claimed that the existing law does not address the issue of Secret Service protection in the event that Trump or any other individual who currently receives protection is convicted and sent to prison.
He stated that the existing law may hinder the fair dispensation of justice and create logistical challenges for both the Secret Service and prison authorities at the Federal and State levels.
According to a source from Thompson’s office, the bill would impact individuals who have been convicted of a felony and would have been eligible for Secret Service protection. The source emphasized that no one should receive special treatment, including former presidents.
Secret Service protection has a long history, dating back to 1901. Initially, it was provided to presidents, high-level officials, and a select few family members of those officials. However, the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy in 1968 prompted an expansion of this protection to include major-party presidential nominees as well.
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who happens to be Senator Kennedy’s son, is greatly annoyed by this. To his dismay, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has rejected his request for protection not once, not twice, but a total of five times since late March.
According to Kennedy Jr., the decisions were driven by political motives.
Within 120 days of a general election, major presidential and vice presidential candidates, along with their spouses, are provided with secret service protection.