President Donald Trump has expressed his belief that Lee Harvey Oswald was responsible for the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy. However, he also suggested possible involvement of accomplices. In a conversation with Clay Travis from OutKick aboard Air Force One, Trump confirmed his agreement with the official conclusion while leaving room for alternative theories.
“I do and I’ve always felt that,” Trump stated when asked if he believed Oswald was responsible for Kennedy’s death.
Trump followed his acknowledgment with, “Of course, was he helped?” This question has been central to conspiracy theories surrounding the 1963 assassination, despite official findings that Oswald acted alone.
Recently, Trump ordered the release of the remaining 80,000 pages related to the government’s investigation of Kennedy’s assassination. These documents, previously withheld for sensitivity reasons, were released unredacted as part of Trump’s transparency efforts.
“I think the papers have turned out to be somewhat unspectacular and maybe that’s a good thing,” Trump remarked during the interview with Travis.
The release complies with the 1992 JFK Assassination Records Collection Act, which required all records to be made public within 25 years. Previous administrations delayed some materials over national security concerns.
The National Archives reported that about 99% of records from the Warren Commission’s investigation were made available between 1994 and 2023. The newly released documents did not contain major revelations altering the conclusion about Oswald’s role.
Tom Samoluk, a former deputy director of the Assassination Records Review Board, noted the absence of a “smoking gun” in the records reviewed during the 1990s. The consensus remains that Oswald acted alone.
Conspiracy theories about Kennedy’s assassination persist, implicating entities like the U.S. government, the Mafia, the CIA, Cuba, and the KGB. Polls show most Americans believe Oswald did not act alone.
The documents released by the Trump administration include details on Oswald’s activities in Mexico City weeks before the assassination, his time in the Soviet Union, his relationship with his Soviet wife, and reports on his marksmanship.
Some researchers welcomed the release as an “encouraging start” toward transparency. Jefferson Morley, editor of the JFK Facts blog, stated, “This represents the fulfillment of the letter and the spirit of the 1992 JFK Records Act.”
The Justice Department’s National Security Division worked overnight to review the documents following Trump’s announcement. Attorneys from the division worked to meet the release deadline.
Trump’s executive order, signed on January 23, 2025, directed the declassification and release of records related to the assassinations of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with plans for full release within specified timeframes.
Trump also ordered the release of information related to the federal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and the September 11 attacks, aligning with his campaign promises for greater access to historical records.
Interest in the Kennedy assassination files has increased due to a recent book by former Secret Service agent Paul Landis, who claims to have found “magic bullet” evidence that could challenge the Warren Commission’s conclusions.
Some documents remain classified due to national security concerns, primarily to protect confidential sources and intelligence methods. The Justice Department continues reviewing newly discovered records, including approximately 2,400 new files related to the assassination recently found by the FBI.
The National Archives is digitizing remaining records to make over six million pages accessible to the public, researchers, and historians interested in this pivotal moment in American history.
