Trump Administration Makes History, Unveils Secret Files

The Trump administration has released 80,000 pages of previously classified JFK assassination documents, delivering on a promise to bring transparency to one of America’s most enduring historical mysteries.

Quick Takes

Trump ordered the release of 80,000 pages of JFK assassination files without redactions, though some personal information and details about “live assets in Cuba” remain protected.
The documents are now available on the National Archive’s website, fulfilling a promise made by multiple administrations over decades.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and key Republican figures have praised the action as a triumph for government transparency.
Some documents detail Lee Harvey Oswald’s activities and contacts with Cuban and Soviet intelligence, including a note describing him as a “poor shot.”
The release is part of Trump’s broader initiative to declassify government secrets, including files on other historical assassinations.

A Promise Fulfilled After Decades

The National Archives has begun releasing 80,000 pages of previously classified documents related to President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, fulfilling a long-awaited promise made by President Donald Trump. The release comes after multiple administrations, including those of Trump and Biden, repeatedly pledged to make these files public. While Biden released some documents during his term, he postponed others, citing pandemic-related delays. Trump had also previously blocked some records following appeals from the CIA and FBI but has now instructed that the files be released with minimal redactions.

Inside the Declassified Documents

The newly released files consist of hand-written notes and typewritten reports, many of which are old, faded, and partially illegible. Despite Trump’s instruction for no redactions, some documents still contain heavy redacting, particularly for personal information and details about “live assets in Cuba.” Historians caution that while they don’t expect major revelations that would drastically alter the official narrative, the documents provide valuable additional details about the assassination and subsequent investigation that shaped American history.

Some documents detail Lee Harvey Oswald’s activities and contacts with Cuban and Soviet intelligence. Notably, one document described Oswald as a “poor shot,” raising questions among assassination researchers. Another document contains a letter from a Russian claiming he warned US officials in August 1963 about Oswald’s intentions. These details have sparked renewed interest among researchers and conspiracy theorists who have long questioned the official finding that Oswald acted alone.

President Trump is ushering in a new era of maximum transparency. Today, per his direction, previously redacted JFK Assassination Files are being released to the public with no redactions. Promises made, promises kept. https://t.co/UnG1vkgxjX pic.twitter.com/XBbkQfz4Bx

— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) March 18, 2025

Congressional Support for Transparency

House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna have praised the Trump Administration for releasing the JFK files, characterizing the action as evidence of Trump’s commitment to governmental transparency. Rep. Luna, who leads a task force on declassification of federal secrets, has been particularly vocal about the need to expose long-concealed truths related to major historical events, including the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy.

Luna has suggested there might have been “two shooters” in JFK’s assassination, a theory that contradicts the official conclusion of the Warren Commission. Both Comer and Luna have requested a briefing on the documents related to the Executive Order. The release is viewed as part of a broader GOP initiative to make public government secrets on various topics from the JFK assassination to Jeffrey Epstein and UFO sightings, addressing longstanding public interest in these subjects.