Who Assassinated President Kennedy: Trump Says, “You Draw Your Own Conclusion”

On Tuesday, President Trump ordered the release of thousands of documents related to the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963. Acknowledging that the public can determine for themselves who killed former President John F. Kennedy, Trump made the decision to disclose the previously classified and redacted files on Friday, March 21st.

The released documents by the Trump administration consist of tens of thousands of pages pertaining to the Kennedy assassination, offering insights into some of the most sensitive operations conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) over the past few decades. These documents are digitized versions of the paper files dating back to the 1960s, featuring faded typed text and handwritten notes.

Despite the anticipation from many experts, the latest documents unveiled by the U.S. government did not provide all the answers to the mysteries surrounding the significant event of Kennedy’s assassination in 1963 in Dallas. However, these new files do cover mostly or entirely unedited content, moving away from the blacked-out text or blank areas seen in previous releases.

On the other hand, due to the handwritten nature or the blurriness of many documents due to their age, historians and journalists continue to meticulously study these files to uncover new details. Differentiating between what information is new and what is old presents a challenge, as the organization of the documents has not yet been standardized.

The release of these documents without any proper arrangement or classification may take several days to determine precisely what new information the government has brought to light. So far, there is no concrete evidence to confirm the decades-old conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination.

The Warren Commission, established in 1964, concluded that Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald, a former U.S. Marine who had previously defected to the Soviet Union, and that Oswald acted alone. Oswald, who was transient, fired shots at Kennedy’s motorcade from a nearby building.

Created on November 29, 1963, the Warren Commission was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to investigate the circumstances of Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963, as well as the killing of Lee Harvey Oswald.

Since then, various alternative theories about the case have emerged, partly due to the CIA’s confidentiality during the investigation.

The Wall Street Journal summarized five key points from the newly released documents:

1. Over the past few decades, the CIA had provided various reasons for denying the disclosure of these files.

2. The CIA had spent years investigating whether Fidel Castro was involved.

3. The then-Mexican president maintained a secret close relationship with the CIA.

4. The CIA monitored a meeting that Robert F. Kennedy, the younger brother of President Kennedy who ran for the Democratic Party nomination in the 1968 presidential election and was assassinated the same year, might have attended.

5. The CIA’s Mexico City station requested Washington to remain silent on the Oswald tape incident.

A new revelation from the recently unredacted documents disclosed sensitive personal information, including social security numbers.

In the Oval Office on Friday, Trump confirmed the release of social security numbers. “We even released social security numbers,” he said. “I don’t want to redact anything.”