Trump releases JFK assassination files
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Donald Trump in the Oval Office on March 13. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
The Trump administration released thousands of pages of files Tuesday related to the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy.
Why it matters: Trump pledged on the campaign trail to release the remaining files pertaining to the assassination and has already released some records since entering office.
Driving the news: "The records of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy, more commonly known as the 'Warren Commission,' are actively being digitized," per a post on the National Archives and Records Administration's (NARA) JFK Assassination Records page.
- All records "previously withheld for classification that are part of the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection are released," according to a National Archives statement.
- The National Archives has partnered with agencies across the federal government to comply with Trump's directive and records are now available to access either online at this page or in person at NARA's College Park, Maryland, building.
The records will be posted to the JFK Assassination Records site as they continue to be digitized, according to NARA.
- Among the trove of documents are administrative records related to the Warren Commission's investigation and compilation of its report, along with information it received from federal agencies, photos, recordings and commission hearings.
- NARA notes that many of these records are now available in the National Archives Catalog.
The big picture: Trump told reporters Monday that his administration planned to release "all of the Kennedy files" the next day.
- "People have been waiting for decades for this," he added.
Between the lines: The approximately 80,000 pages being released were previously classified and are being published without redactions, Tulsi Gabbard, director of national intelligence, said in a statement.
Zoom out: Trump signed an executive order in January demanding the release of all JFK assassination records.
- Last month, the FBI discovered a new tranche of records that had previously not been made public.
- Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., JFK's nephew, has long called for greater disclosure about the assassination, believing his uncle's death to be part of a broader conspiracy involving his family.
Go deeper: Trump declassifies JFK, MLK assassination files
Editor's note: This story has been updated with comment from Tulsi Gabbard, director of national intelligence, and with additional context.
