Lee Harvey Oswald was a “poor shot” according to one of the newly declassified documents released by the Trump administration concerning the 1963 assassination of former President John F. Kennedy
About 2,200 files – consisting of approximately 63,000 pages – were posted by the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration on Tuesday evening. It came after President Donald Trump teased the release on Monday while visiting the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and asserted that the government would not redact “anything” – stating about 80,000 pages would be made public.
One of the files included a memo from the CIA’s St Petersburg station which said the KGB, the former security agency for the Soviet Union, watched Oswald closely and stated he was a “poor shot when he tried target firing in the USSR.”
Eager historians and researchers trawled through the trove of files seeking any sign of new or shocking though, by Tuesday evening, there were few revelations to report.
Most of the records related to JFK’s assassination had already been released with a 1992 law requiring the government to release documents within 25 years of his death, except those that posed national security concerns.
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Key Points
- Trump releases 63,000 pages of JFK assassination files
- Trump releases huge number of unseen documents on JFK assassination
- What to know about the JFK files before they are released
- DoJ lawyers were ordered to review records ‘urgently’ on Monday evening: report
- Timeline in document releases so far
How many files on the JFK assassination released?
10:55
,
James Liddell
About 2,200 files – consisting of approximately 63,000 pages – were posted by the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration on Tuesday evening.
It came after President Donald Trump teased the release on Monday while visiting the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and asserted that the government would not redact “anything.”
Though Trump previously stated about 80,000 pages would be made public.
Historians and JFK researchers pore over new assassination documents
07:55
,
Ariana Baio
Researchers, both professional and amateur, will need time to pore over the recently released JFK assassination documents, but as it stands, it’s doubtful that anything truly revelatory will be found in Tuesday’s trove.
News outlets spoke to numerous authors and historians who all agreed they’d encountered little new information and noted that many of the documents had been released during previous disclosures.
On social media things weren’t much different; every time someone thought they’d found something interesting, someone else pointed out the information had been released years — sometimes decades — prior.
It’s not a surprising development; in 2023, the National Archives estimated that 99 percent of the government’s documents related to JFK’s assassination had been made public at that time.
Political scientist and Kennedy expert says no smoking gun likely to be found in Trump document dump
03:14
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Graig Graziosi
Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia and the author of “The Kennedy Half-Century: The Presidency, Assassination, and Lasting Legacy of John F. Kennedy,” told CNN that he believed people looking for a smoking gun that solves the Kennedy assassination in Donald Trump’s document release are going to be let down.
“I’m just telling you that we will learn things,” Sabato told the broadcaster. “But it may not be about the Kennedy assassination and people who are expecting, you know, to crack the case after 61 years, are going to be bitterly disappointed.”
Many of the documents released on Tuesday had already been made public. In 2023, the National Archives estimated that 99 percent of the government’s documents related to JFK’s assassination had been made public at that point.
Director of National Intelligence lauds Trump JFK document release
02:25
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Graig Graziosi
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard heaped praise onto her boss, Donald Trump, following Tuesday’s JFK document dump.
She noted that Trump had kept his promise to release the documents — which he did — though it’s still unclear if there is anything significant in the documents that hadn’t already been revealed in previous records releases.
See Gabbard’s statement below:
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
Unclear if Trump has changed his mind on JFK assassination explanation following document drop
01:47
,
Graig Graziosi
Back in 2021, Donald Trump tossed around the idea of releasing the remaining JFK assassination files. During an interview with the New York Times at the time, Trump seemed fine accepting the general consensus that JFK was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald.
“The reason I did that was because I thought it was appropriate,” Trump told the paper at the time, referencing his desire to release the documents. “When you have something that’s so sacredly secret, it really makes it sound very bad. I think they maybe got it right, probably got it right. Let people examine it.”
Trump has not given any indication that the contents of the records released on Tuesday have shifted his perspective.
Historian calls Trump's JFK document dump "impenetrable"
00:52
,
Graig Graziosi
David J Garrow, a historian with an expertise in US intelligence agencies, told The New York Times that the trove of documents related to JFK that were released on Tuesday were “profoundly more impenetrable” than previous mass document releases.
This is, in part, because thousands of documents lack any kind of annotation; its unclear which agencies produced them and many lack identifying information like file numbers.
Trump releases huge number of unseen documents on JFK assassination
00:16
,
Graeme Massie
How will I learn about newly released records?
Tuesday 18 March 2025 22:30
,
Mike Bedigan
Despite the president’s promise earlier today, further information about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy have not yet been released.
However, newly released records will be accessible on the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection web page.
You can check back for updates here: https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk
In the JFK files, there’ll be no smoking gun – only bombshells
Tuesday 18 March 2025 22:01
,
Mike Bedigan
As America braces itself for thousands of declassified CIA documents, former intelligence officer John Kiriakou explains why there isn’t much light left to shed on the presidential assassination – but we should expect intriguing detail about the ‘second gunman’ theory in the killing of his brother, Robert.
Read more here:
Why aren’t all of the JFK assassination records online?
Tuesday 18 March 2025 21:30
,
Mike Bedigan
If you’re wondering why not all of the the JFK Assassination records are not yet available online – it’s a question of priority.
The records collection consists of millions of pages, photographs, electronic items, and artifacts, most of which are available for public access at the National Archives at College Park, in Maryland.
The National Archives is currently prioritizing the digitization of these records to make them more widely accessible online,” according to the institution.
Since January 2024, over 700,000 pages have been digitized and made available through the National Archives Catalog.
Where can the public see the JFK files when they are released?
Tuesday 18 March 2025 21:00
,
Ariana Baio
Once the files are declassified and the White House gives the National Archives the OK to release them, they can be viewed on this webpage.
Most of the files related to Kennedy’s assassination are already public. They are accessible on the National Archives website.
What have the released Kennedy files said so far?
Tuesday 18 March 2025 20:30
,
Ariana Baio
Most of the government’s records on the inquiry into Kennedy’s assassination have been released to the public and the information supports the conclusion that 24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in assassinating Kennedy.
The documents released over the years have provided more details about Oswald and pointed to his possible motivations in carrying out the shooting. However, the information has never supported a conspiracy theory – though that has not stopped people from suggesting alternative scenarios.
Inside the committee that will look at the nation’s biggest secrets
Tuesday 18 March 2025 20:00
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Ariana Baio
A Republican-led task force in the House intends to investigate and release formerly classified information related to several major events that have spurred conspiracy theories that have lingered across the U.S. such as the assassination of former president John F. Kennedy Jr., the September 11 terrorist attacks and the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein.
Some records may be ‘embarrassing’ for CIA, expert said
Tuesday 18 March 2025 19:30
,
Ariana Baio
While the unreleased Kennedy assassination records may fuel conspiracy theories of a government coverup or something even more sinister, one expert believes that information in the withheld documents could be “embarrassing” to the CIA who “dropped the ball” on preventing the former president from being assassinated.
Steve Gillon, a senior faculty fellow at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center of Public Affairs, told UVA Today in 2023 that he believes the remaining classified documents will show that the CIA failed to prevent Lee Harvey Oswald from assassinating Kennedy.
“I think that they had warnings that Oswald had threatened to assassinate the president; perhaps even possessed recordings of Oswald making these threats in front of KGB agents when he was in Mexico City,” Gillon said at the time.
“But that information was never effectively relayed back to the FBI, so they’re very casual in their efforts to contact Oswald when he returned to Dallas. I think there was a breakdown in the communication between the CIA and the FBI, and as a result Oswald slipped through the fingers of American intelligence.”
Gillon hypothesized that some materials may remain classified because they contain information about the methods the U.S. used to obtain intelligence – which may be methods they still use today.
Voices: In the JFK files, there’ll be no smoking gun – only bombshells
Tuesday 18 March 2025 19:00
,
John Kiriakou
As America braces itself for thousands of declassified CIA documents, former intelligence officer John Kiriakou explains why there isn’t much light left to shed on the presidential assassination – but we should expect intriguing detail about the ‘second gunman’ theory in the killing of his brother, Robert.
Where do the 'JFK files' come from?
Tuesday 18 March 2025 18:30
,
Ariana Baio
Congress passed a law requiring documents containing information about John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1992 – in part due to the rise of conspiracy theories that alleged government agents and officials were involved in the assassination.
Hoping to increase government transparency, Congress passed the Kennedy Assassination Act which required assassination records to be publicly disclosed in full no later than 25 years after it was enacted (October 26, 2017).
Those records included any government records related to the federal investigation into the 1963 assassination of Kennedy, including interview transcripts, allegations, articles, letters and more.
However, Congress included an exemption that allowed the sitting president at the time, Donald Trump, to postpone the release of others if it contained information that was harmful to national security.
Though tens of thousands of documents were released under Trump’s first administration, as well as Biden’s administration, a small portion of records have been withheld seemingly for national security reasons.
However, Trump said on Monday he directed his administration to release all the records without redactions.
ICYMI: FBI admits it found 2,400 new pages of documents to release about JFK assassination
Tuesday 18 March 2025 18:00
,
Rhian Lubin
The FBI said it found 2,400 new pages of documents about the assassination of John F. Kennedy following President Donald Trump’s decision to release the highly classified files.
In a statement in February, the FBI said due to “technologic advances” in the bureau’s record-keeping processes, a new search carried out in January this year following Trump’s executive order unearthed new records relating to Kennedy’s assassination.
“The FBI conducted a new records search pursuant to President Trump's Executive Order issued on January 23, 2025, regarding the declassification of the assassination files of JFK, RFK, and MLK,” the bureau said. “The search resulted in approximately 2400 newly inventoried and digitized records that were previously unrecognized as related to the JFK assassination case file.”
The bureau did not specify what the records contain but said it was working to transfer the documents to the National Archives and Records Administration to be included in the declassification process.
Watch: President Trump announces he will release 80,000 undetected files from the Kennedy assassination
Tuesday 18 March 2025 17:30
,
Ariana Baio
Meet Anna Paulina Luna, the GOP lawmaker tasked with revisiting JFK files and Epstein’s list
Tuesday 18 March 2025 17:00
,
Alex Woodward
Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus who was elected to the House in 2022, has repeatedly pushed for “transparency” in the federal government — specifically, to dive into conspiracy theories surrounding unidentified flying objects, the origins of COVID-19, and the September 11 attacks, all of which will be at the center of her task force.
“The federal government has been hiding information from Americans for decades,” she said in a statement on February 11.
Alex Woodward reports:
White House deputy press secretary says Americans will be ‘shocked’ at JFK files
Tuesday 18 March 2025 16:30
,
Ariana Baio
White House Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields told NewsNation on Tuesday that Americans “are truly going to be shocked” and what they see from the JFK assassination files release.
Fields declined to tease what information could be unveiled in the document release but said “There will be a story to tell” once the remaining documents become public.
Historians have disputed predictions that the thousands of remaining documents will unveil bombshell information regarding the assassination of the former president.
White House Deputy Press Secretary hints at JFK Files bombshell in today’s release
— UAP James (@UAPJames) March 18, 2025
“The American people are truly going to be shocked at what they see.” pic.twitter.com/xaWWlChCiy
It was Russia, CIA, the FBI: 10 JFK assassination conspiracies that refuse to die
Tuesday 18 March 2025 16:00
,
Dominic Sandbrook
As Donald Trump signs an executive order to declassify and release all remaining records relating to the assassination of President John F Kennedy, ‘The Rest is History’ podcaster and historian, Dominic Sandbrook, examines the conspiracies that still persist today – and why.
Files will become public on webpage when released
Tuesday 18 March 2025 15:45
,
Ariana Baio
The remaining documents related to the assassination of John F. Kennedy can be seen on a National Archives webpage once the White House releases them.
Representative Anna Paulina Luna, who is leading the congressional task force to oversee the declassification of documents, said she received confirmation from the National Archives about where to view the documents.
I have received official confirmation from @USNatArchives—
— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) March 18, 2025
When the White House releases the JFK files they will be publicly available at the link below ⬇️https://t.co/lC1mfXmrtn
The White House has not provided an exact time they anticipate the documents to be released but Justice Department lawyers were given until noon on Tuesday to review materials, according to reports.
JFK, RFK and MLK: The conspiracies behind each assassination that continue to enthrall amateur sleuths
Tuesday 18 March 2025 15:30
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Rhian Lubin
Conspiracy theories about the assassination of President John F Kennedy on that fateful day on November 22, 1963, have swirled for decades. But experts agree that the imminent release of the long-awaited JFK files, along with unreleased documents about the killings of Robert F Kennedy and civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr, is unlikely to quell the paranoia surrounding any of their murders.
New documents unlikely to change narrative around JFK assassination
Tuesday 18 March 2025 15:15
,
Ariana Baio
For decades, conspiracy theories have swirled surrounding the assassination of John F. Kennedy – but historians have largely agreed that the release of the remaining documents is unlikely to upend the narrative that Lee Harvey Oswald fired fatal shots at Kennedy on November 22, 1963.
Most of the records related to the assassination have been released, according to the National Archives. Only a few thousand remain.
Kevin Boyle, a professor at Northwestern University told NPR in January that the remainder were “not going to reveal something new” about Kennedy’s assassination.
Fredrik Logevall, a JFK biographer, similarly said the documents were not going to “dramatically overturn” history’s understanding of the assassination but that there could be useful information in the materials.
Timeline in document releases so far
Tuesday 18 March 2025 15:00
,
Ariana Baio
1992: The federal government mandates all assassination-related documents be housed in the NARA and most be released by 2017, barring any exemptions by the president.
July 2017: NARA releases 3,810 documents and 17 audio files related to the Kennedy assassination.
October 2017: NARA releases 2,891 records related to the Kennedy assassination. Trump ordered the release of additional records by April 18, 2018 but withholds some due to national security concerns.
November 2017: NARA releases 11,420 records related to the Kennedy assassination. Of those, around 2,400 contain redactions
December 2017: NARA releases 3,539 documents related to the Kennedy assassination
April 2018: NARA releases 19,045 records related to the Kennedy assassination
October 2021: Former president Joe Biden orders for records containing national security information to be withheld while allowing other documents to be released
December 2021: NARA releases 18,870 records per Biden’s order
December 2022: NARA releases 13,173 records related to the Kennedy assassination
August 2023: NARA releases 2,693 records between April and August 2023
January 2025: Trump signs executive order directing the government to declassify documents related to the Kennedy assassination.
DoJ lawyers were ordered to review records ‘urgently’ on Monday evening: report
Tuesday 18 March 2025 14:55
,
Ariana Baio
The Justice Department ordered some of its lawyers to “urgently” review records from the assassination of former president John F. Kennedy that the president ordered to be released on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
In an email sent to attorneys working in the Operations Section of the Office of Intelligence, by Christopher Robinson, a National Security Division official, on Monday evening, lawyers were told to review between 400 and 500 documents each.
Lawyers were given until noon on Tuesday to complete the review which includes records related to the assassination of John F. Kennedy as well as his brother Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.
What to know about the JFK files before they are released
Tuesday 18 March 2025 14:45
,
Katie Hawkinson
President Donald Trump has ordered the declassification of all files related to the 1963 assassination of then-president John F. Kennedy - and FBI officials say they have found thousands more pages of docs ready for the public.
But should the world expect much from them?
The answer is murky, at best.
Welcome to The Independent’s live blog coverage of the John F. Kennedy assassination files release.
Tuesday 18 March 2025 14:28
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Ariana Baio
The president said he would release approximately 80,000 documents related to the assassination today. He did not clarify what new information may be included in that.