Grandson of JFK Fires Back at Trump

On Thursday, January 23, 2024, President Donald Trump enacted an executive order to declassify thousands of documents related to three high-profile assassinations in American history. This decision was swiftly and vehemently criticized by the grandson of John F. Kennedy.

The executive order states: “Over half a century after the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Federal Government has not released all of its records related to these events to the public. The American people and their families deserve transparency and truth. It is in the national interest to release all records concerning these assassinations without delay.”

This move fulfills a promise Trump made during his reelection campaign, despite having previously walked back similar pledges due to concerns from intelligence agencies. In a Wednesday interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, Trump confirmed, “I’m going to release them immediately. We’re going to see the information. We are looking at it right now.”

JFK’s sole grandson, Jack Schlossberg, a rising star in the Democratic party, publicly denounced this decision on social media platform X, saying, “The truth is a lot sadder than the myth — a tragedy that didn’t need to happen.” Schlossberg, a lawyer and journalist, accused Trump of exploiting his grandfather’s death for political gain, commenting, “Declassification is using JFK as a political prop when he’s not here to punch back. There’s nothing heroic about it.” He also expressed concerns that the release of these files could fuel conspiracy theories and needless speculation about alternative narratives surrounding the assassination.

Under Trump’s directive, the Director of National Intelligence is to devise a plan for the release of the remaining JFK files. During the signing ceremony in the Oval Office, Trump noted, “That’s a big one, huh?” before passing the signing pen to RFK Jr., adding, “A lot of people have been waiting for this for years, for decades. Everything will be revealed.”

The order affords intelligence officials 45 days to detail plans for the release of documents related to the assassinations of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., thereby broadening the scope beyond just the JFK files.

Trump attributed his prior hesitance to declassify the documents to pressure from his former CIA Director and Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, who had explicitly requested that the files remain classified. Trump suggested Pompeo’s concerns indicated he had knowledge of sensitive details that justified the continued classification of the records. Both the CIA and FBI contended that certain documents contained sensitive material that should stay classified to safeguard national security.

Though millions of pages concerning the JFK assassination have been released, several thousand still sit in archives. Recent releases include CIA cables and memos chronicling Lee Harvey Oswald’s visits to Cuban and Soviet embassies in Mexico City weeks before the assassination. These documents shed light on Oswald’s activities leading up to November 22, 1963, the day it is alleged he shot JFK from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas, Texas.

The declassification has revealed a significant divide within the Kennedy family. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now running as an independent presidential candidate, staunchly supports the release, asserting that there is “overwhelming evidence that the CIA was involved in his murder” and alleging his uncle was targeted for refusing to commit U.S. forces to the Vietnam War. The CIA continues to deny any involvement in the assassination and maintains Oswald was not their agent. This stance is in direct contrast to Schlossberg’s dismissal of conspiracy theories as unnecessary speculation.

On November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, President Kennedy was in an open motorcade with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connally when shots were fired in Dealey Plaza. Oswald was apprehended shortly afterwards but was shot dead two days later by nightclub owner Jack Ruby in a moment captured live on television, adding another layer of intrigue to an event that has fascinated the American public for six decades.

While experts who have examined previously released documents believe the remaining files are unlikely to contain information that would drastically alter the accepted narrative of events, amateur investigators continue to parse every new piece of data in search of evidence that might support or contradict the numerous theories that have persisted since that fateful day in Dallas.

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