It’s a story that has refused to fade, a wound in American history that remains stubbornly open. The assassination of John F. Kennedy in Dallas on November 22, 1963, was supposed to be settled history, but the questions never stopped. Was it just Lee Harvey Oswald, the lone gunman? Or was there a deeper conspiracy involving the CIA, the Mafia, foreign intelligence agencies, or even JFK’s own government? Donald Trump, ever the showman, has once again thrown gasoline on the fire of speculation. After years of promises and missed deadlines by previous administrations, Trump has now ordered the full release of the remaining classified JFK files. Will this finally end the speculation, or will it only deepen the mystery?
A President Who Became an Enigma
To understand the importance of the JFK files, we need to go back to the man himself. John F. Kennedy was more than just a president—he was a symbol, a paradox, and in many ways, a myth. He was a war hero, yet his family’s wealth and influence had insulated him from the struggles of ordinary Americans. He was a devout Catholic, yet his personal life was a whirlwind of extramarital affairs, including a rumored relationship with Marilyn Monroe. He was a Cold War warrior, taking America to the brink of nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis, yet he spoke of peace and sought diplomacy with the Soviet Union. For many Americans, Kennedy was the embodiment of youthful optimism, of a nation on the cusp of greatness. But behind the glamour of Camelot, there were shadows—secrets within his administration, tensions with intelligence agencies, and enemies both at home and abroad.
The Political Landscape Before Dallas
By late 1963, Kennedy had made many enemies. The CIA resented him for the Bay of Pigs fiasco, where he refused to provide full military support for an anti-Castro operation, leaving CIA-backed Cuban exiles to be captured or killed. The Mafia, once thought to have ties to his father Joseph Kennedy, was furious at his brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, for aggressively prosecuting organized crime.
The military wasn’t pleased either. After the Cuban Missile Crisis, JFK was seen as too soft on the Soviet Union. His proposal for a joint US-Soviet moon landing and secret negotiations with Fidel Castro angered hardliners in Washington.
And then there was Vietnam. By late 1963, Kennedy had begun to show signs of wanting to scale back US involvement, a move that military-industrial interests viewed with concern. Many historians believe that had he lived, America’s full-scale involvement in Vietnam may never have happened.
This was the backdrop as Kennedy traveled to Texas in November 1963—a politically divided state where he needed to shore up support for his re-election bid. He never made it out alive.
The Affair, the Actress, and the Cover-Up?
JFK’s life was as much the stuff of scandal as it was of politics. His alleged affair with Marilyn Monroe remains one of the most talked-about aspects of his personal life. Monroe’s sultry performance of “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” at Madison Square Garden in May 1962 all but confirmed the rumors. More than just an affair, Monroe’s death under mysterious circumstances in August 1962—officially ruled a probable suicide—added fuel to theories of a cover-up. Some claim she had threatened to go public about her relationships with both JFK and his brother Robert, only to be silenced.
Monroe’s connection to the Kennedys wasn’t just personal—it may have had political implications. Some reports suggest she kept a “red diary,” a journal containing sensitive political secrets allegedly confided in her by JFK. Her sudden death, paired with rumours of FBI and CIA surveillance on her, has led many to suspect foul play. Was Monroe simply a victim of Hollywood’s pressures, or did she know too much? The truth remains elusive, but her story adds yet another layer of intrigue to the Kennedy saga.
Did the Kennedy brothers have something to do with Monroe’s death? Or was it just another case of Hollywood’s tragic downfall? We may never know. But what is undeniable is that the Kennedy legacy was as much about its secrets as it was about its ideals.
What’s in the JFK Files?
The declassification of the JFK assassination files has been a long, drawn-out process. In 1992, Congress passed the JFK Records Act, mandating that all files be released by 2017. Trump himself initially vowed to release them all but held some back, citing intelligence concerns. Biden followed the same pattern. Now, with Trump back in power, he has ordered the full release.
President Donald Trump has announced that he will release 80,000 pages of unredacted documents related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. This long-awaited move comes after Trump repeatedly promised during his 2024 campaign to declassify the files, tapping into decades of public skepticism and conspiracy theories surrounding JFK’s death.
“While we’re here, I thought it would be appropriate—we are, tomorrow, announcing and giving all of the Kennedy files,” Trump told reporters while touring the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. “So, people have been waiting for decades for this, and I’ve instructed my people … lots of different people, [Director of National Intelligence] Tulsi Gabbard, that they must be released tomorrow.”
He emphasized that the files would be unredacted, adding, “I don’t believe we’re going to redact anything. I said, ‘just don’t redact, you can’t redact.’” When asked if he had reviewed the documents, Trump responded, “I’m not doing summaries, you’ll write your own summary.”
The Unfinished Story of JFK’s Assassination
Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas on November 22, 1963, remains one of the most heavily scrutinized events in American history. The official Warren Commission report concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in killing the president, but skepticism has persisted for decades. Conspiracy theories have ranged from CIA involvement to Mafia connections, Cuban government retaliation, and even speculation about a second shooter. The release of classified documents has long been sought by historians, researchers, and the general public in the hopes of shedding light on whether there was more to the story than the official version suggests.
While it’s unclear exactly what the remaining 80,000 pages contain, researchers are particularly interested in several key areas:
- CIA Surveillance of Lee Harvey Oswald: Previously released files have shown that the CIA was monitoring Oswald before the assassination. More details on his activities, particularly his trip to Mexico City where he allegedly met Soviet and Cuban officials, could be revealed.
- Oswald’s Intelligence Ties: Some researchers suspect that Oswald had connections to US intelligence agencies, either as a low-level informant or an unwitting pawn in a larger plot. Unredacted documents could provide more clarity.
- CIA and FBI Internal Communications: The role of intelligence agencies in handling information about Oswald before and after the assassination has long been questioned. Were crucial details withheld from the Warren Commission?
- New Revelations on Possible Co-Conspirators: The files may contain information on individuals or groups that were previously dismissed as having played no role in Kennedy’s assassination.
The Last Great American Conspiracy?
FILE – Part of a file, dated April 5, 1964, details efforts to trace Lee Harvey Oswald’s travel from Mexico City back to the United States, is photographed in Washington, Oct. 26, 2017. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick, File)
Even with these files, it is unlikely that the full truth of the Kennedy assassination will ever be known. The idea that a lone gunman, with no external influence, was able to kill the most powerful man in the world remains hard for many to accept. Was the CIA involved? The Mafia? Rogue elements in the government? Some believe the assassination was a classic case of a “deep state” operation—before the term even existed. Others think Oswald truly was a lone gunman, acting out of personal grievances. But one thing is certain: John F. Kennedy’s death changed America. It marked the end of an era of idealism and the beginning of an age of suspicion. The 1960s unraveled in a storm of assassinations, war, and political upheaval. The trust in government, once unshaken, was forever fractured. As Trump releases these files, one question lingers: Will they finally provide answers, or will they only confirm what many have long suspected—that some secrets are never meant to be fully revealed? Sixty-two years after that fateful day in Dallas, the world is still waiting for answers.