- President Donald Trump said he would release “all” of the much-awaited records relating to former President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, “other than the names and addresses of any mentioned person who is still living.”
- In doing so, Trump walked back his previous decision to allow redactions on documents that intelligence agencies claimed compromised national security.
President Donald Trump on Friday announced on Twitter that he would authorize the release of “all” of the much-awaited documents on the John F. Kennedy assassination, walking back his earlier decision to allow redactions based on recommendations from the FBI and CIA.
“After strict consultation with General Kelly, the CIA and other Agencies, I will be releasing ALL JFK files other than the names and addresses of any mentioned person who is still living,” Trump’s statement said. “I am doing this for reasons of full transparency and in order to put any and all conspiracy theories to rest.”
On Thursday, Trump blocked the release of hundreds of files on the Kennedy assassination, saying he had “no choice” because of “potentially irreversible harm” to national security. Trump also ordered the redactions to undergo a review to ensure they were essential. The National Archives eventually released nearly 3,000 previously undisclosed documents in relation to the assassination.
The newly released files were made available in compliance to a 1992 law that mandated its release within 25 years. Although a trickle of documents were released, conspiracy theorists have been fueled by the preexisting redactions and lingering questions surrounding Kennedy’s assassination.
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