JFK files

Topic

Classified government documents related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Trump promises to release the remaining files if re-elected.


First Mentioned

10/12/2025, 5:11:52 AM

Last Updated

10/12/2025, 5:13:56 AM

Research Retrieved

10/12/2025, 5:13:56 AM

Summary

The JFK files refer to the extensive collection of U.S. government and law enforcement records concerning the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. This collection was mandated by the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 and is housed by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in College Park, Maryland. While significant portions of these documents have been declassified and released over the years, including a large trove during Donald Trump's presidency, former President Trump recently pledged to release the remaining classified files, suggesting the CIA had influenced their prior classification. Recent releases, such as those in March 2025, have offered enhanced clarity on CIA operations in the early 1960s, particularly in Cuba and Mexico, without contradicting the Warren Commission's finding that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.

Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
  • Scope

    Copies of all U.S. government records, and materials from state or local law enforcement offices involved in federal inquiries

  • Purpose

    Compile and house records related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy

  • Location

    NARA Archives II building, College Park, Maryland, USA

  • Custodian

    National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)

  • Legal Basis

    President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (JFK Records Act)

  • Alleged Influence on Classification

    CIA

  • Key Figure (Recent Releases/Pledge)

    Donald Trump

  • Number of Documents Released (Trump Administration)

    Over 63,000 documents (web search); 80,000 pages (web search)

  • Warren Commission Conclusion (not contradicted by releases)

    Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone

Timeline
  • President John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas, USA. (Source: Summary)

    1963-11-22

  • The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 becomes effective, mandating NARA to establish the collection of records. (Source: Wikipedia)

    1992-10-26

  • President Donald Trump declassified and made public a trove of documents related to the assassination, including over 63,000 documents and 80,000 pages. (Source: Web Search Results)

    During Donald Trump's Presidency

  • Former President Donald Trump pledged in an interview to release the remaining classified JFK files, suggesting the CIA had influenced their prior classification. (Source: Related Documents)

    Recent (unspecified date)

  • Declassified documents related to the President John F. Kennedy assassination were released, providing enhanced clarity on CIA actions. (Source: Web Search Results)

    2025-03-18

President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992

The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, or the JFK Records Act, is a public law passed by the United States Congress, effective October 26, 1992. It directed the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to establish a collection of records to be known as the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection. It stated that the collection shall consist of copies of all U.S. government records relating to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and that they are to be housed in the NARA Archives II building in College Park, Maryland. The collection also included any materials created or made available for use by, obtained by, or otherwise came into the possession of any state or local law enforcement office that provided support or assistance or performed work in connection with a federal inquiry into the assassination.

Web Search Results
  • What is in the JFK Files? Historian Takes a Deep Dive

    In keeping with a campaign promise, President Donald Trump made a trove of documents related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy public last week. The more than 63,000 documents can now be viewed on the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration website. [...] Share this story Email Facebook LinkedIn X (Twitter) WhatsApp Reddit The release of documents related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in recent days offered some new tidbits and odds and ends, but nothing to change one historian’s view that Lee Harvey Oswald was the sole assassin. [...] Skip to content Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Tiktok X (Twitter) Youtube # What is in the JFK files? Hear from one historian about whether there were any new revelations # What is in the JFK files? Hear from one historian about whether there were any new revelations We asked Edward H. Miller, a teaching professor and political historian, about whether there is any new information in the trove of documents concerning JFK’s assassination. by Tanner Stening

  • Declassified JFK files provide 'enhanced clarity' on CIA actions ...

    ### U.S. needs to keep its friends closer, Pence says Search # Declassified JFK files provide ‘enhanced clarity’ on CIA actions, historian says Recently declassified documents related to the President John F. Kennedy assassination. Declassified documents related to the President John F. Kennedy assassination were released on March 18. George Walker IV/AP Photo Declassified documents related to the President John F. Kennedy assassination were released on March 18. [...] The more than 77,000 pages released by the National Archives and Records Administration do not appear to contradict the Warren Commission’s conclusion that gunman Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone when he shot Kennedy in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. But historians say the papers hold important new details about the CIA’s involvement in foreign elections during the Cold War and its infiltration of Fidel Castro’s inner circle. [...] George Walker IV/AP Photo Christina Pazzanese Harvard Staff Writer ## Fredrik Logevall, Pulitzer winner writing three-volume Kennedy biography, shares takeaways from declassified docs Six decades later, Americans know a bit more about the CIA’s clandestine operations in the early 1960s, particularly in Cuba and Mexico, thanks to a new tranche of declassified documents concerning the assassination of President John F. Kennedy released last week.

  • JFK Assassination Records: Key Takeaways

    Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and Harvard professor Fred Logevall discusses the history and context of recently declassified files relating to President John F. Kennedy. Earlier this year, in accordance with a Presidential directive and in an effort to maximize transparency, all records previously withheld for classification in the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection were released. Among the key takeaways from these National Archives papers are a deeper understanding

  • James Files - Wikipedia

    James Earl Files (born January 24, 1942), also known as James Sutton, is an American former prisoner. In 1994, while serving a 50-year sentence for the 1991 attempted murders of two police officers, Files gave interviews stating that he was the "grassy knoll shooter" in the 1963 assassination of United States President John F. Kennedy. [...] Vincent Bugliosi, author of the 2007 book Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, characterized Files as "the Rodney Dangerfield of Kennedy assassins." According to Bugliosi, very few within the majority of Americans (75%) who believe there was a conspiracy to kill Kennedy respect him or his story. However, conspiracy author Jerome Kroth described Files as "surprisingly credible" and said his story "is the most believable and persuasive" about the assassination. [...] He said he took one shot at Kennedy with a Remington XP-100 "fireball" gun, which was the final, fatal, head shot which infamously caused Kennedy to jerk violently back and to the left. Files has subsequently been interviewed by others and discussed in multiple books pertaining to the assassination and related theories. In 1994, the Federal Bureau of Investigation was quoted as having investigated Files' allegation and found it "not credible".

  • Hearing Wrap Up: Task Force Examines Newly Released JFK Files

    President Trump and his administration are committed to maximum transparency and have declassified 80,000 pages of records related to President Kennedy’s assassination. The House Oversight Committee’s Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets will build on the Trump Administration’s efforts to declassify records of national importance and restore trust through transparency. [...] While some progress has been made to declassify documents relating to President Kennedy’s assassination, more transparency about federal secrets is needed. [...] Hearing Wrap Up: Task Force Examines Newly Released JFK Files - United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Skip to main content Image 1: Site logoToggle navigation Search About Chairman James Comer Full Committee Rules Committee Activity Calendar Hearings Letters Markups Reports Forums Roundtables