A senior House Democrat criticized for proposing legislation that would strip Secret Service protection from any president sentenced to prison defended the bill Monday and declined to say whether he would withdraw it in light of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) has faced blowback for applauding law enforcement who responded Saturday evening when a suspected 20-year-old gunman attempted to assassinate Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania given that in April, he introduced a bill that would strip a convicted presidential candidate of federal security once behind bars.
Thompson’s post praising police at the rally received more than 18,000 comments in less than 48 hours after he posted it.
“My bill would not have affected the Secret Service’s presence during this tragic event,” Thompson said in a statement Monday. “It aims to clarify lines of authority when a protectee is sentenced to prison and is in the custody of another law enforcement agency. That does not apply to the former President.”
On April 19, Thompson introduced the Denying Infinite Security and Government Resources Allocated toward Convicted and Extremely Dishonorable Former Protectees Act to automatically bar Secret Service protection for anyone sentenced to prison for a federal or state felony conviction.
Instead, prison authorities would be responsible for the welfare of inmates, including politicians.
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The bill’s introduction preceded Trump’s late May conviction on 34 felony counts in a New York trial related to business fraud for payments his campaign made to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016.
The sentencing has been delayed amid a Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity protocols.
