President Donald Trump previously promised to release files related to John F. Kennedy’s (JFK’s) assassination under a 1992 transparency law. In an intensely criticized move, the White House announced they would allow the release of only 2,891 of at least 3,140 documents. Previously deemed top secret, many of the released files show handwritten notes, internal discussions, and global chases to find communists related to Lee Harvey Oswald. The remaining files are promised to be available in the coming months but are currently hidden from the public view due to security concerns. This begs the question: What are the United States government and the Trump Administrating hiding?
The secret documents that remain in the hands of the Trump Administration may address rumors regarding J. Edgar Hoover’s attempts to hide connections between Lee Harvey Oswald and the Soviet Union. The released information sheds some doubt on the traditional storyline due to a questionable comment from Hoover. In a memo, Hoover relates the importance of finding something that will convince the public Oswald was the real assassin. Lee Harvey Oswald had a questionable history as a troubled Marine and for a short time defected to the Soviet Union. As expected, this has only added fuel to the fire for conspiracy theorists who believe Oswald was murdered to silence the true story behind JFK’s assassination.
Many anticipated records were not released in this batch of files, including a report on the head of the CIA Dallas office at the time of the assassination. Also not found in the JFK files were notes on a Dallas businessman who communicated with Ruby before he shot Lee Harvey Oswald. Information on anti-Castro exiles responsible for an airline bombing who were connected to JFK’s assassination and Oswald were also missing from the public release.
Government officials balked at Trump’s order to release the remaining files, citing sensitive information that could be dangerous to national security. Although President Donald Trump allowed another six months for officials to review redactions, he urged transparency in releasing the documents to the American public. The files that were released contain bits and pieces of information that will help historians and conspiracy theorists alike piece together the true story of what happened on November 22, 1963.
[Featured Image by Jon Elswick/AP Images]