President Promises Public Access to 80,000 Unredacted Pages
President Donald Trump said his administration will release all of the government’s remaining documents related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The release, set for Tuesday, will include about 80,000 pages of records, with no redactions.
"People have been waiting for decades for this," Trump said during a visit to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. "We have a tremendous amount of paper. You've got a lot of reading. I don't believe we're going to redact anything."
Executive Order Aimed at Full Disclosure
The decision follows an executive order signed by Trump on his first day in office earlier this year. That order called for the full release of government documents related to not only President Kennedy’s death, but also the assassinations of his brother, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Background on the JFK Assassination
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. The accused gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald, was killed days later before standing trial. The case has been surrounded by conspiracy theories for decades, with many questioning whether Oswald acted alone.
Millions of Pages Released, But Some Were Still Secret
Over the years, millions of government documents about Kennedy’s death have been made public. However, many files remained redacted or fully classified. Trump said this upcoming release will finally give the public full access.
Trump has instructed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to oversee the final release process. He said the goal is full transparency, without withholding any information from the public.
Previous Delays in Full Disclosure
A law passed in 1992 required all Kennedy assassination records to be made public by October 26, 2017. That deadline could only be extended if the president determined the release would cause serious harm to national security or foreign relations.
Trump was president when that deadline came. At the time, he approved the release of nearly 2,900 records but kept others sealed based on concerns from the CIA and FBI. Those agencies said some information could still pose risks to national security.
Biden Administration Also Extended Reviews
After Trump left office, President Joe Biden continued the review process. His administration approved further delays in 2021, 2022, and 2023, allowing agencies more time to evaluate the files.
Despite those efforts, public pressure remained for the government to fully release all documents related to Kennedy’s death. Supporters of full transparency say the country deserves to see the full record without redactions.
What’s Inside the Documents?
The files released in 2017 included information about FBI and CIA investigations into Lee Harvey Oswald. They also contained details about covert Cold War operations that had been kept classified for decades.
More recently, the FBI said it found an additional 2,400 records connected to the case. These records will also be included in Tuesday’s release.
"It’s going to be very interesting," Trump told reporters. "It’s a lot of stuff, and you’ll make your own determination."
What Happens Next?
With this release, researchers, historians, and members of the public will have access to more than ever before. Whether the documents will provide new answers or simply add more questions remains to be seen.
Trump said he hopes the release will help settle long-running debates and bring clarity to one of the most talked-about moments in American history. But others believe it may just spark more interest in the mystery.
Either way, the release marks a major moment in U.S. government transparency. For decades, citizens have demanded to know what really happened in 1963. Now, they’ll have a chance to see the full picture.
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