Donald Trump and Ben Carson Request Secret Service Protection
— -- Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ben Carson have requested protection from the Secret Service.
According to a Homeland Security spokesman, the department received official requests Monday for protection from both campaigns. Candidates who are frontrunners typically request protection around this time of year.
The requests from the two candidates have been “under review pursuant to the statutorily required process,” the spokesperson told ABC News.
A few people in Congress will have to approve Trump and Carson’s requests –- Speaker John Boehner, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Mitch McConnell and Sen. Harry Reid.
“As prescribed by statute, authorization for Secret Service protection for presidential candidates 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," the Homeland Security spokesman said.
Speaking to ABC News while on his book tour in Texas today, Carson denied that his campaign requested protection and said that Secret Service and FBI came to him.
"Actually Secret Service and FBI came to our campaign and they said we need Secret Service protection," Carson told ABC News.
"The bottom line is there's been a lot of threats so obviously it's considered legitimate."
The Trump campaign did not immediately comment.
ABC News' Katherine Faulders and John Santucci contributed to this report.
