Donald Trump had promised to declassify JFK assassination records, partly due to his political connections with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The recent release of previously classified documents related to John F. Kennedy’s assassination has stirred strong reactions, including from JFK’s only grandson, Jack Schlossberg.
On Tuesday, March 18, the Trump administration made public tens of thousands of pages of documents regarding the JFK assassination. Schlossberg, who opposed this decision, voiced his frustration on social media, refuting any claims that his family had been given advance notice before the files were released.
“No — THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DID NOT GIVE ANYONE IN PRESIDENT KENNEDY’S FAMILY ‘A HEADS UP’ ABOUT THE RELEASE,” he wrote, calling it “a total surprise” but “not a shocker.” He also hinted that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. might have been aware of the release beforehand.
Trump’s push to declassify the JFK assassination records was partially influenced by his ties to Kennedy Jr., who has long advocated for increased transparency regarding the murders of his uncle and father.
Schlossberg shared a video of CNN’s coverage of the document release, urging the media to stop amplifying speculation. He argued that if news outlets reduced their focus on the topic, it wouldn’t dominate public discourse.
In another post on X, he criticized Trump’s interest in the files, stating, “President Trump is obsessed with my grandfather — but not in his life or what he achieved in it.”
He then highlighted JFK’s legacy, emphasizing his role in drafting the Civil Rights Act, establishing USAID, and supporting the arts—achievements he suggested Trump should focus on instead of revisiting assassination theories.
The newly released files were uploaded to a portal managed by the National Archives and Records Administration. Trump estimated the document dump contained approximately 80,000 pages.
The agency confirmed that “all records previously withheld for classification” had been declassified, though not all were immediately available online. The release included 1,123 new documents.
Many of these newly available files provide uncensored versions of previously redacted documents, offering fresh details on one of the most analyzed events in U.S. history.
However, Gerald Posner, author of Case Closed, which argues that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, estimates that 3,000 to 4,000 documents remain classified in some form. Some are fully redacted, while others contain minor redactions, such as Social Security numbers.
Oswald, a former U.S. Marine, assassinated JFK, the 35th president of the United States, on November 22, 1963. Kennedy, then 46, was riding in a convertible through Dallas, Texas, when he was fatally shot.
Tragically, before Oswald could stand trial, he was shot and killed in the basement of the Dallas police headquarters just two days later.
His actions have fueled decades of speculation over whether he acted alone or was part of a larger conspiracy. Many researchers and the public hope these newly declassified files will bring clarity to lingering questions.
David Barrett, a political science professor at Villanova University specializing in the Kennedy presidency, noted that while many of the newly released documents may seem obscure to the general public, they provide valuable insights for scholars, offering fewer redactions than before.
“Now I know who or what is being referred to. So a memorandum on CIA relations with the Miami newspapers, for example, and details on three CIA officers doing technical collection of intelligence in Cuba — I’ve never really had those details before,” he said.
Only time will tell whether these newly released files will uncover new truths about one of history’s most controversial assassinations or simply add another layer of intrigue to the mystery.