Trump promises to unseal and declassify all JFK assassination records if re-elected

“When I return to the White House, I will declassify and unseal all documents related to the JFK assassination. It has been 60 years, it is time for the American people to know the truth!” , former President Donald Trump wrote on the media platform Truth Social.

Trump has reiterated his promise to release the remaining classified files related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, despite the fact that he failed to do so when given the opportunity during his four years in office. Instead, Trump has sided with the CIA and the FBI in continuing to withhold some files from the public.

Mr. Trump announced that he would declassify and unseal all documents related to the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy in 1963 if he is re-elected. (Photo: Getty)

US President Joe Biden said last week that the National Archives had completed its review of classified records on the JFK assassination and released them to the public. But he recommended that a small number remain for review.

Explaining Mr. Biden's comment, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told the media at the White House: "This action reflects President Biden's directive that all information related to the assassination of President Kennedy should be disclosed, unless there is a compelling reason otherwise."

The White House's claim that "99% of the records have been released" has been ridiculed by many experts on the Kennedy assassination, who say the information is inaccurate.

“It is an insult to anyone who cares about the truth in this case that the White House deliberately released it on a Friday night before a long weekend. Everyone thinks all of these files should have been released long ago,” Gerald Posner, author of “Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK,” told The Messenger.

Trump’s July 7 statement came as he shared an article from The Messenger . The publication also pointed out that long-time Democratic presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr., nephew of the late President JFK, had also criticized the Biden administration for continuing to hold thousands of files from the case.

Former US President John F Kennedy and First Lady Jackie Kennedy in Washington, USA in 1961. (Photo: SCMP)

However, Trump has faced a similar decision before while in office. In 2017, Trump oversaw the release of more than 19,000 JFK files but ultimately reneged on his promise to release all the rest. The former president opted to side with the CIA and FBI to delay the release of the remaining files until 2021.

President Biden then delayed the process until 2022, when he released an additional 13,000 records. He then set a new deadline for the release in the first half of 2023 — a promise he fulfilled last week.

The continued delay in providing these records is contrary to the spirit of the 1992 John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act. The law, passed unanimously by the U.S. Congress , requires all assassination-related records to be publicly disclosed by October 26, 2017.

By law, only the president can impose certain restrictions on national security concerns that would delay the release of documents. But many presidents have used that authority to delay the release of documents.

Phuong Thao (Source: Business Insider)

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