DALLAS — In a significant move concerning the legacy of the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, President Donald Trump has ordered the release of thousands of classified documents related to the event. This directive was part of a series of executive actions initiated during the early days of Trump’s second presidential term.
On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order that tasks the national intelligence director and the attorney general with formulating a plan within 15 days to make the assassination records accessible to the public. While there is eagerness surrounding the release of these files, the timing of their disclosure remains uncertain. Additionally, the order calls for a strategy to declassify the remaining federal documents pertaining to the 1968 assassinations of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., with a 45-day deadline set for these records as well.
After signing the order, Trump passed the pen to a staff member with instructions to present it to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is Trump’s nominee for the health secretary position. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nephew of John F. Kennedy and son of Robert F. Kennedy, has publicly questioned the notion that a lone shooter was responsible for his uncle’s death, despite a history of differing views from his family due to his anti-vaccine stance. Following the executive order, he expressed gratitude to Trump for his actions on social media, acknowledging the trust placed in the American public.
On November 22, 1963, JFK and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy arrived in Dallas amidst a bright sky and joyful crowds, embarking on a political trip aimed at healing divisions ahead of the upcoming election. However, as their motorcade approached its destination, shots were fired from the Texas School Book Depository. Lee Harvey Oswald, a 24-year-old who took position there, was subsequently arrested but was murdered two days later by nightclub owner Jack Ruby during his transfer between jails.
In the aftermath of the assassination, President Lyndon B. Johnson formed the Warren Commission to investigate the incident. The commission concluded that Oswald acted alone and found no conspiracy involvement. This finding, however, did little to mitigate the rise of numerous conspiracy theories that have persisted over the years.
In the early 1990s, the government established a requirement for all documents related to the JFK assassination to be housed in a specific collection at the National Archives and Records Administration. This collection, which exceeds 5 million documents, was mandated to be accessible by 2017, barring any presidential exemptions. While Trump initially expressed a desire to release all remaining documents during his first term beginning in 2017, he ultimately withheld some, arguing that national security might be at risk. Under President Joe Biden’s administration, additional files have been made public, yet a number of documents remain classified.
Experts, including Larry J. Sabato of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, believe approximately 3,000 documents still retain confidentiality, primarily sourced from the CIA. Furthermore, around 500 documents, which include tax returns, were excluded from the 2017 release requirement and are therefore still inaccessible to the public.
Previously released documents have shed light on the operations of intelligence agencies during the time of JFK’s assassination. For instance, CIA cables have detailed Oswald’s visits to Soviet and Cuban embassies in Mexico City just weeks before the event. There are accounts of Oswald’s inquiries about travel visas and intercepted communication with a KGB official following his activity at the Soviet embassy.
Researchers assert that the files released so far have enriched the understanding of that turbulent period in the context of the Cold War, providing crucial insight into the intricate dynamics at play during the era surrounding President Kennedy’s assassination.
