Top Revelations From The Newly Released JFK Files
on Mar 19, 2025
What do we already know about the assassination of John F. Kennedy?
John F. Kennedy, known commonly as JFK, was nearing the end of his third year as President when he was brutally shot and killed on November 22nd, 1963. The 46-year-old politician has been traveling in an open-air motorcade in Dallas, Texas, alongside his wife Jacqueline at the time of the attack.
For decades, the story told to the public was that JFK was killed by a lone assailant, Lee Harvey Oswald. Oswald immediately claimed that he was framed for the crime and used as “a patsy.”
This caused many Americans to doubt the “official” story of what happened on that tragic day. Suspicions became heightened when Oswald was killed just two days after JFK by Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby.
In the more than six decades that have passed, countless theories have been formulated as to what the truth behind the assassination might be. Some arguments include Oswald, while others do not. Many believe other individuals or organizations were involved in orchestrating the crime.
However, the ultimate question remains to this day – who is truly responsible for the death of JFK?
Why were the files sealed until now?
It has been more than 60 years since John F. Kennedy’s death, and while the National Archives claims that the majority of the files have already been made public, still a significant amount remained classified.
A 2023 report by The Miami-Herald delved into why this information has been kept from the public eye. In the report, Rex Bradford, the President of the Mary Ferrell Foundation, shared his belief that the files contain sensitive and potentially “embarrassing” information, including key names and locations of CIA bases.
Professor of American history at the University of East Anglia, Kaeten Mistry, added:
“The vast majority of records that remain secret, or were recently released, will relate to national security matters. The government is always more cautious when it comes to releasing those to the public.”
Shortly after being sworn in for his second presidential term, Donald J. Trump signed an executive order to release the remaining files related to JFK’s assassination. It asserted:
“I have now determined that the continued redaction and withholding of information from records pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy is not consistent with the public interest and the release of these records is long overdue.”
What revelations were discovered in the newly released files?
As of Tuesday evening, March 18th, an estimated 63,000 of 80,000 pages of previously classified information related to JFK’s assassination have been released.
Important note: The National Archives is releasing these formerly classified files “on a rolling basis,” a part of their “ongoing efforts to digitize the entire collection.” Check back for updates, as all of the documents may not be immediately available.
🚨 NEW: The National Archives is making it easy for the American people to access the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection.
Go to https://t.co/lWZAHSeOAp to explore the collection and get updates on our ongoing efforts to digitize the entire collection. pic.twitter.com/e415aNmCrx
— U.S. National Archives (@USNatArchives) February 28, 2025
Many of the files are scans of documents and have become blurry or hard to read in the 60+ years since the assassination. Photos and recordings, mostly from the 1960s, are also included in the collection.
Historians confirm that it will take some time to evaluate the new documents and determine what, if any, implications the new information has on the previous conclusion formed about the assassination. Read on to learn what takeaways have been discovered so far in the new JFK files.
Oswald Was Reportedly A Poor Marksman
One document appears to be an intelligence report on Lee Harvey Oswald from November 20, 1991. It was previously known that Oswald spent time in the Soviet Union, and this report reveals that an investigation was carried out to determine whether or not he was a KGB agent.
KGB official “Slava” Nikonov was cited as reporting that “at no time was Oswald an agent controlled by the KGB,” saying that he “doubted anyone could control Oswald.” The document also reflected that “Oswald was a poor shot when he tried target firing in the USSR.”
President Trump is ushering in a new era of maximum transparency. Today, per his direction, previously redacted JFK Assassination Files are being released to the public with no redactions. Promises made, promises kept. https://t.co/UnG1vkgxjX pic.twitter.com/XBbkQfz4Bx
— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) March 18, 2025
New Details Shared Surrounding Gary Underhill’s Story
According to a now-unredacted memo, former CIA operative Gary Underhill fled Washington, D.C., the day after the assassination. He reportedly shared with friends his theory that a small rogue faction of the CIA was responsible for JFK’s death. The account claims that he was in a state of panic and feared for his life.
Underhill was found dead six months later in what was ruled to be a suicide.
Additionally, Underhill outlined a suspicious connection between a formerly CIA-owned arms dealer, Interarms, to Klein’s Sporting Goods of Chicago, where Oswald allegedly obtained the gun that killed JFK.
The Files Shed Light On Mid-20th Century Espionage
The newly released documents go into detail on how the CIA tapped into telephones in Mexico City to monitor communication between the Soviets and the Cubans after Oswald visited their diplomatic facilities in late 1962.
The files included specific instructions for CIA operatives on how to wiretap – information that the agency fought to keep hidden so as not to reveal their methods.
Additionally, the document reveals the names of Soviet agency personnel recruited as double agents in Mexico City, as well as an extensive list of phone numbers tapped by the U.S. government. Oswald is not specifically named in this list.
The Documents Detail Operations To Overthrow Fidel Castro
One 1964 document described two CIA assets making plans to potentially assassinate Cuban President Fidel Castro under the administration of President Lyndon Johnson. These plans were reportedly “shelved” due to opposition from Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.
Most Of The “New” Documents Had Been Released Previously With Redactions
According to an analysis by The Post, most, if not all, of the JFK files released Tuesday had been shared previously with redactions. This time around, the previously hidden information, including specific names, dates, locations, etc, has been unmasked.
An initial review of this information does not challenge the “official” conclusion that was determined after the assassination. Philip Shenon, author of A Cruel and Shocking Act: The Secret History of the Kennedy Assassination, shared:
“It’s always possible there is a blockbuster, but so far, nothing here on the face of it is rewriting the essential truth of what happened that day. It would take days, weeks and months for a serious researcher to really understand what’s in these documents.”
You can view the collection of digitized JFK assassination files on the National Archives website.
