Trump to Release 80,000 Unredacted JFK Assassination Files
President Donald Trump has confirmed that his administration will release 80,000 pages of unredacted documents related to President JFK assassination. This decision fulfills a promise he made during his campaign and continues ongoing public interest in the case.
Details of the Release
Trump announced the release while at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. He instructed his administration, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, to ensure that no redactions occur.
“People have been waiting for decades for this,” Trump said. “I don’t believe we’re going to redact anything.” He noted that the public should expect extensive reading material but did not provide a summary of the files’ contents.
Background on the JFK Assasination Files
The assassination of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963, remains one of the most analyzed events in U.S. history. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the shooting, but his murder two days later by Jack Ruby fueled widespread speculation and conspiracy theories. The Warren Commission concluded in 1964 that Oswald acted alone, but skepticism has persisted for decades.
Congress passed the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, which required all related government records to be housed in the National Archives. The law set a 2017 deadline for full disclosure unless national security concerns justified withholding some files. Previous presidents, including Trump and Joe Biden, delayed full release due to security concerns.
What the Files May Reveal
Many researchers do not expect groundbreaking revelations but anticipate new insights into intelligence activities at the time. Previously released documents have included CIA cables and memos discussing Oswald’s movements. Some of these records show that Oswald visited the Soviet and Cuban embassies in Mexico City before Kennedy’s assassination.
Newly discovered FBI records, including 2,400 additional documents, could add to the historical record. However, some files, such as tax records, remain exempt from release.
Previous Delays and Expectations
In 2017, Trump initially planned to release all remaining documents but withheld some due to intelligence agency concerns. The Biden administration continued the declassification process, though some files remain restricted.
The latest batch of documents is expected to provide a deeper understanding of U.S. intelligence operations during the Cold War. While many historians doubt the files will confirm long-standing conspiracy theories, their release allows for continued research and public scrutiny.
More…
- https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/us-politics/article-donald-trump-says-his-administration-is-set-to-release-jfk-files-with
- https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5199289-trump-releases-80k-pages-jf-kennedy
- https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-assassination-documents-release-trump-c56ed5075b38af809f36a6388797d4ca
