In a surprise announcement today, President Donald Trump revealed that his administration will release approximately 80,000 files related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy tomorrow. The announcement came during an impromptu press conference at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
“While we are here, I thought it would be appropriate… we are, tomorrow, announcing and giving all of the kennedy files,” Trump told reporters. “People have been waiting for decades for this.”
Trump indicated that he has instructed his team, led by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, to prepare the documents for release without redactions. “I don’t think we are going to redact anything. I said just don’t redact, you can’t redact,” Trump stated.
Decades of Secrecy and Partial Disclosures
The assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas on November 22, 1963, has been the subject of intense public interest and speculation for over six decades. While the Warren Commission concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in assassinating the president, numerous conspiracy theories have persisted.
In 1992, Congress passed the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act, which mandated the release of all assassination-related records by October 2017. However, both the Trump and Biden administrations had previously granted extensions for certain sensitive documents, citing national security concerns.
Executive Order and Previous Efforts
Today’s announcement follows Trump’s Executive Order 14176, signed on January 23, 2025, which called for “the full and complete release of records relating to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.” The order stated that “it is in the national interest to finally release all records related to these assassinations without delay.”
According to the National Archives, the JFK Assassination Records Collection consists of over six million pages. While the vast majority of these documents have already been declassified, this final release appears to include materials that were previously considered too sensitive for public disclosure.
Kennedy Connection in Trump Administration
The timing of the announcement is notable given that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nephew of President John F. Kennedy and son of Robert F. Kennedy, currently serves as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Trump administration. Kennedy Jr. has previously expressed interest in the full disclosure of documents related to his uncle’s assassination, even launching a petition in November 2023 for the release of the remaining classified files.
When asked if he had reviewed the files personally, Trump responded, “I’ve heard about them. It’s going to be very interesting.” He added that the release would include approximately 80,000 pages of material.
The files are expected to be made available on the National Archives website tomorrow afternoon, though specific timing was not announced.
Disclaimer
This article is based on President Trump’s public statements made at the Kennedy Center on March 17, 2025. The information regarding the planned release of JFK assassination files reflects the administration’s announced intentions, but the actual content, timing, and scope of the release may be subject to change. The National Archives and Records Administration will be the official source for these documents once released. This article does not speculate on the contents of the unreleased files or endorse any particular theories regarding the Kennedy assassination.
