Trump Opens Up on Who He Thinks Killed JFK After Releasing Assassination Investigation Files
- President Donald Trump reaffirmed his belief that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination of John F. Kennedy but hinted at the possibility of external assistance
- His administration recently declassified 80,000 documents related to the case, though they disclosed no groundbreaking information on the former president's shooting
- Trump’s broader transparency efforts include releasing files on other high-profile investigations, such as the September 11 attacks and Martin Luther King Jr's assassination
Washington, D.C. - US President Donald Trump stated that he has “always” agreed with the official conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald was responsible for the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy.
Speaking aboard Air Force One during an interview with Clay Travis from OutKick, Trump acknowledged Oswald’s role but hinted at the possibility of external assistance, responding, 'Of course, was he helped?'
Source: Getty Images
According to the Independent UK, while conspiracy theories suggested involvement from entities such as the CIA, the Mafia, or foreign governments, evidence to date supports the conclusion that Oswald acted alone.
US declassifies Kennedy assassination files
The discussion arose as President Trump directed his administration to release the remaining 80,000 documents related to the government’s investigation into Kennedy’s assassination.
These files, previously withheld due to their sensitive nature, were released without redactions.
However, the documents did not reveal any groundbreaking information about the assassination, instead exposing details such as Social Security numbers.
Trump described the files as 'somewhat unspectacular', adding that this might be a positive outcome in the broader sense.
J F. Kennedy: Broader efforts to declassify public interest cases
The release of the Kennedy assassination files is part of President Trump’s broader initiative to declassify information on high-profile cases.
The president signed an executive order to disclose details related to the federal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, the assassinations of Dr Martin Luther King Jr and Robert F. Kennedy, the September 11 attacks, and other significant events.
These efforts were touted to be aimed at enhancing transparency and addressing public curiosity surrounding historical and controversial cases.
What happened to John F. Kennedy?
John F. Kennedy, often referred to as JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963.
Known for his charisma and progressive vision, he championed civil rights, space exploration, and the Peace Corps during his presidency.
His tragic death in Dallas, Texas, remains one of the most debated events in American history.
As a leader, Kennedy inspired a generation with his famous inaugural address, urging citizens to 'ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country'.
His establishment of the Apollo program set the stage for America’s eventual moon landing, cementing his legacy as a forward-thinking statesman.
JFK files will take months to examine, says analyst
The recent declassification of JFK assassination files by the Trump administration is the 'most transparent' in decades, but it still leaves many questions unanswered, according to political analyst Marie-Christine Bonzom.
Bonzom, who was based in Washington from 1989 to 2018 as a journalist and correspondent for the Voice of America and the BBC World Service, noted that researchers would need time to analyse the newly released documents.
“It will take months for JFK scholars and experts to comb through the thousands of files released this week by the Trump Administration,” she told Legit.ng.
She emphasised the significance of the declassification, noting that 'relatively few passages are redacted, contrary to previously declassified documents on the matter'.
Despite the extensive document release, Bonzom, an expert on the United States government policies, pointed out that the files did not contradict the government’s original conclusion.
“At this point, nothing in the new release appears to contradict an early government finding that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone to kill the US president in 1963,” she explained.
However, she noted a key revelation:
“The new release shows that the CIA was closely watching Oswald prior to the assassination, and numerous JFK assassination-related CIA and FBI files still remain classified.”
Bonzom opined that despite Trump's views, the latest disclosures are unlikely to put conspiracy theories to rest.
“As with every release of documents on JFK's assassination, most American historians and other experts as well as the majority of Americans will most likely continue to have more questions than answers about who killed JFK,” she concluded.
Source: Getty Images
JFK files: Gerald Posner reacts
Reacting, Gerald Posner, author of Case Closed, said the JFK files won’t change the minds of those hungry for a conspiracy.
“The average person thinks they must have been hiding something to keep them hidden for so long. So people think maybe they’re destroyed or kept elsewhere in government," he said.
According to Posner, President Trump is not known for understatement.
"When he says the JFK files 'have turned out to be somewhat unspectacular,' you can take it to the bank that there was no smoking gun document, no matter how hard some people try to sensationalize them," the Pulitzer finalist posted on X.
US lists 3 top secrets Trump ordered its release
Legit.ng earlier reported that President Trump signed an Executive Order entitled Declassification of Records Concerning the Assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr.
This pivotal decision aimed to end more than 50 years of secrecy and deliver long-awaited transparency to the American public. According to BBC, the order established that the victims' families and the US people deserved the truth after 50-plus years.
Editorial assistant Ololade Olatimehin provided exclusive commentary from a political analyst for this report.
Article updated with the reaction of Gerald Posner, author of "Case Closed, by head of politics/CA desk, Nurudeen Lawal.
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Source: Legit.ng
Basit Jamiu (Current Affairs and Politics Editor) Basit Jamiu is a journalist with more than five years of experience. He is a current affairs and politics editor at Legit.ng. He holds a bachelor's degree from Ekiti State University (2018). Basit previously worked as a staff writer at Ikeja Bird (2022), Associate Editor at Prime Progress (2022), and Staff Writer at The Movee (2018). He is a 2024 Open Climate Fellow (West Africa), 2023 MTN Media Fellow, OCRP Fellow at ICIR, and Accountability Fellow at CJID. Email: basit.jamiu@corp.legit.ng.
James Ojo (Copyeditor) James Ojo is a copy editor at Legit.ng. He is an award-winning journalist with a speciality in investigative journalism. He is a fellow of Nigeria Health Watch Prevent Epidemics Journalism Fellowship (2023), WSCIJ Collaborative Media Project (2022), ICIR Health Reporting (2022), YouthHubAfrica’s Basic Education Media Fellowship (2022), Countering the Fake News Epidemic (MacArthur Foundation) 2021, and Tiger Eye Foundation Fellowship. Email: james.ojo@corp.legit.ng
