August 26, 2024

"This is a tribute in honor of Bobby. I will establish a new independent presidential commission on assassination attempts, and..."

"... they will be tasked with releasing all of the remaining documents pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy."

Said Donald Trump, at his Friday rally with RFK Jr., quoted in "Trump vowed to release all remaining JFK files. What could they contain? Despite their differences about what they suspect happened on Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas, two prominent researchers agree the remaining files should be released" (WaPo).
Some of the documents released since 2022 shed light on Oswald’s actions in the months before the assassination. One document from June 1962 indicated that Oswald might have been on the CIA’s radar more than a year before Kennedy’s assassination. Another said the CIA intercepted a call Oswald made in October 1963 from Mexico City to the Soviet Embassy there, wanting someone in the building “to send a telegram for him to Washington.” Last summer, a newly unredacted copy of a document named the CIA employee who intercepted Oswald’s mail before Kennedy’s murder....

[Jefferson Morley, the editor of the JFK Facts newsletter] and [Gerald Posner, who wrote the 1993 Kennedy assassination book “Case Closed"] said they believe the remaining documents might show that the CIA was aware of Oswald before the assassination.

Morley said the evidence released so far leads him to suspect Kennedy’s opponents in the CIA might’ve been working with Oswald and the remaining documents could prove or disprove that theory. Posner said he thinks Oswald acted alone and the remaining documents might show the CIA failed to report him to the FBI before the assassination....

“Is there a smoking gun in there? You know, this is not about a smoking gun,” Morley said. “This is about the law that says all of the government’s JFK records should be made public by October 2017. We’re seven years past that blown deadline.”

I wish Trump would give a cogent explanation of why, when he was President and had the power,  he chose not to release the documents, and why, out of power, he's promising to release them. Or is that quote in the post title his explanation? It's a "tribute in honor of Bobby." Trump knows what is being withheld. Why did he withhold it?

Biden has withheld it too, though perhaps not for the same reason, but there must be good reason. And yet it's not a good enough reason to prevent release of the documents as a tribute to Bobby. One senses that Trump is preoccupied with getting elected, and this new promise is a means to that end. Keeping it is another matter. 

81 comments:

rehajm said...

"This is about the law that says all of the government’s JFK records should be made public by October 2017. We’re seven years past that blown deadline.”

...rule of law should be the only argument required but we're long past rule of law.

Shouting Thomas said...

WaPo is virtually a CIA publication. Hard to say what the classified docs would reveal, but I’ll assume that WaPo/CIA is lying.

Lawnerd said...

Any documents that would be truly damaging to any federal agency have been destroyed long ago.

Yancey Ward said...

Chuck Schumer could explain why Trump might have refused to defy the CIA on this matter.

Yancey Ward said...

It is all but certain, however, that there is nothing in these documents- as Lawnerd above points out, if there were ever any truly incriminating documents for the US government, they were long destroyed and the 61 year gap covers up the omissions with the cobwebs of time and death of those involved in the investigation.

Dave Begley said...

Occam’s Razor. The CIA was in on it somehow.

John henry said...

Brandon, Pedjt before him and, I think, Obama before them were required by law to turn over all JFK assassination files.

President trump said he planned to but there was tuff in the files that should never be made public

I hope he has changed his mind. I like the idea of putting junior in charge, but why? Just comply with the law. Release everything

John Henry

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...


Like it or not only one party is for sunshine and transparency. The other incumbent party is for secrecy, censorship and gaslighting.

n.n said...

Only the nose knows what the ear hears. There's your answer.

Cecile's Scalpel would indicate that we have passed a threshold of viability.

Ralph L said...

An ex-Marine defects to the USSR at the height of the Cold War, marries a citizen, then comes back to the USA. I should hope the CIA would have heard of him. As with so many of the murderous Muslim "lone wolves," the FBI must have, since Jamie Gorelick wasn't in power. Were they too busy infiltrating the KKK back then, too?

Ralph L said...

We don't need to see the autopsy photos, for one thing.

Wince said...

I agree with Posner. Intelligence community embarrassment not complicity in the actual assassination.

Althouse said...
I wish Trump would give a cogent explanation of why, when he was President and had the power, he chose not to release the documents, and why, out of power, he's promising to release them.

You have to pick your battles when the establishment and intelligence community is running operations to remove you from office. Six ways to Sunday.

Yancey Ward said...
Chuck Schumer could explain why Trump might have refused to defy the CIA on this matter.

Maynard said...

I wish Trump would give a cogent explanation of why, when he was President and had the power, he chose not to release the documents

Oh, maybe just fear for his life. You know, a better trained marksman than that little punk in PA.

gilbar said...

[posting before reading the assignment.. Sorry]
what POSSIBLE Reason could there BE to NOT release the docs?
* Agents Still in the Soviet Union after 60 years? (and 30 years after CCCP?)
* Secret techniques that we don't want the Soviet Union to know of? (60y/30y)

Or.. The ONLY POSSIBLE TWO REASONS
1) there is stuff in there that would make the Deep State look REALLY BAD
2) Deep State bureaucratic inertia

Anyone think EITHER of these are valid reasons? hands? Anyone?

Wince said...

There is a story now circulating that Trump will now refuse CIA briefings that are standard for a major candidate for president.

The reason given is he expects Democrats to leak the info contained the briefings and then accuse Trump of leaking.

I would not be surprised if that's what it's come to.

Amadeus 48 said...

My guess: CIA and FBI flubbed information they had collected about Oswald, and neither institution will tolerate the revelation of their obvious incompetence even 60+ years later. Note how the US Secret Service is squelching an examination of their obvious failure to protect Trump. The FBI is stonewalling with an investigation of the incident that will never be complete, and even Trump himself is giving cover to the USSS, which is probably personally wise. Those agents on the personal protection detail were ready to take a bullet for him.

Ralph L said...

He should demand an unclassified briefing. Better than nothing.

rhhardin said...

I'm uncurious about it and was uncurious at the time too. It might have been a CIA op or anything else, but blame shifting is sure to be all of the recorded material.

JAORE said...

"...preoccupied with getting elected, and this new promise is a means to that end. "

A comment that applies to both candidates (in varying degrees) for POTUS on every issue.

Temujin said...

"I wish Trump would give a cogent explanation of why, when he was President and had the power, he chose not to release the documents, and why, out of power, he's promising to release them."

Perhaps more importantly, I wish Kamala Harris would give an explanation- cogent or otherwise- of why she did nothing to secure our border and our national security while she was in office, is currently in office, and yet promises to 'fix' the border if she gets elected and stays in the White House.

Aggie said...

There may be some juicy tidbits, but my guess is, they would all be investigatory cul-de-sacs. The remaining documents have all been expertly curated to remove any evidence revealing the conspiracy.

This is why you don't let the legal evidence surrounding social crises, be relegated to the dusty archives until everybody concerned is dead, and the wealth has been passed on to the innocent heirs. It's a time-honored tactic of corrupt institutions, and family empire money-laundering. Looking at you, COVID-19.

Leland said...

I'm thinking this is Trump putting pressure it the intelligence community along with his statements the day before. It has been over 6 weeks since his attempted assassination, and we still don't know much about the shooter nor have a good timeline of events or release of the local police communications that we know were recorded.

Amexpat said...

All three, Trump, Harris and RFK jr, are pandering politicians. Their words are meaningless. Before RFK's endorsement Trump called RFK a left lunatic and a Democratic plant. RFK had emphatically stated he was never Trump. When RFK's independent presenditial campaign was going nowhere, he contacted both sides to see who he could get the better deal from.

Inga said...

Perhaps more importantly we will find out why someone who chain saws the head off of a dead whale and straps it to the roof of his mini van with his children inside the van to take home should be taken seriously. Strange hobby, picking up dead animals off the roadsides and beaches.

RideSpaceMountain said...

It actually went above their pay grade. From 4-star Lemnitzer, to the Mob, to the American Zionist Council (now known as AIPAC), such a hit needed an ok from more than just one international skullduggerer.

Even the CIA needs help, and not just from time-to-time either.

tommyesq said...

In fact, much of what has been done following the attempt looks strongly like a cover-up. Quickly cremated the shooter, washed all blood and other DNA off the roof, no way to confirm who he was at this point.

Amadeus 48 said...

"...release of the local police communications that we know were recorded."

If those escape erasure, it will be a miracle. Consider Hillary's emails and laptop, Nixon's 18 minute gap, Comey's October surprise, Hillary's Rose Law firm timesheets, etc. Things don't survive.

Political Junkie said...

As the hostess concludes, Trump the politician is playing politics.
I don't really care about JFK as I was born in 1970 and did not have the emotional attachment to JFK, but it would be interesting to see what all is in the "files".

Political Junkie said...

Is that on topic?

Inga said...

Is this on topic?

RCOCEAN II said...

They've always been careful about releasing documents that would show Castro's direct involvement in the Assassination. They also kept the name of the CIA agent responsible for keeping tabs on Oswald secret because he was Jewish. Reason: they wanted to avoid antisemitic conspiracies because Ruby was also Jewish, and so were the people who turned Oswald "Commie" when he lived in NYC.

RCOCEAN II said...

If Trump hadn't turned his head 1 mm, we'd be talking about the conspiracy to kill Trump. Because Crooks would've been killed by the snipers. And like Oswald, dead men tell no tales.

Achilles said...

You are right on here. Trump was being impeached and threatened with jail by both parties.

Now they tried to kill him.

It is time for the trash to be taken out.

Achilles said...

Kamala's the president right now. You can't be honest about anything.

Big Mike said...

Trump knows what is being withheld. Why did he withhold it?

Does he? Did he? Or did he not realize that a statutory deadline was coming up in 2017? Did anybody tell him about it? You might note that there were a few things going on just then.

I was in our high school play, “The Diary of Anne Frank,” and we were scheduled to present it that same night after our principal came on the loudspeaker and announced that the President had been shot, and then later he came on again to tell us that the President had died. I remember the teachers asking each of us whether we were okay to go on with the show that night (we did present the play). So I remember the assassination very well, but I didn’t know the information about it was scheduled to be released in October 2017. Who did?

More to the point, who knew but didn’t tell President Trump?

Interesting thought — did the DOJ not tell Donald Trump about the Kennedy assassination because they were busy trying to take him down with Crossfire Hurricane?

Big Mike said...

Trump knows what is being withheld. Why did he withhold it?

Does he? Did he? Or did he not realize that a statutory deadline was coming up in 2017? Did anybody tell him about it? You might note that there were a few things going on just then.

I was in our high school play, “The Diary of Anne Frank,” and we were scheduled to present it that same night after our principal came on the loudspeaker and announced that the President had been shot, and then later he came on again to tell us that the President had died. I remember the teachers asking each of us whether we were okay to go on with the show that night (we did present the play). So I remember the assassination very well, but I didn’t know the information about it was scheduled to be released in October 2017. Who did?

More to the point, who knew but didn’t tell President Trump?

Interesting thought — did the DOJ not tell Donald Trump about the Kennedy assassination because they were busy trying to take him down with Crossfire Hurricane?

Gusty Winds said...

Trump knows what is being withheld. Why did he withhold it? Because even if you are President, if you don't listen to the deep state they will take you down or kill you. Trump's battle with the deep state (which included the Democrat party) is now deeper with others joining the fight.

"Drain the Swamp" means a hell of a lot more in 2024 than it did in 2016.

Fandor said...

X and the Internet in general is abuzz this day saying 'SOMETHING BIG is coming'. I'm sure there is. Will it be more skullduggery on the part of those who rule us from shadowy, secret places within our security bureaucracies; another planned assassination (attempt), jail time for President Trump, stirring up ANTIFA and MAGA to fight in the streets of our cities, an "unexpected" Pearl Harbor or 9/11 event to shock and stun the nation and make way for Martial Law? It could be something like any of those possibilities because the DEEP STATE, as we've come to know it, never, ever seems to give up. Cleverly, deceptively they wear the flag as a cloak of patriotism while shouting "We're going to lose our democracy!" Evil, wicked, dementented, brainwashed people, who have infiltrated all of our institutions that we thought were in the hands of selfless, honorable and trustworthy civil servants. It turns out it is not so. The curtain has been tore and pulled back. As we learn more it's seems that there is no hope for us to be who we thought we were, "The Shinning City On The Hill". "American Exceptionalism"? Forget about it, that is as long as the present regime is at the helm. It is so shamefully corrupt. But, you know that. So, who then can turn this around, 'save our democracy' nay OUR CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC from the termites infecting our "tree of liberty". The Congress? The Courts? The Military? Nope. The first and most effective shot must come from the highest constitutional office in the land. It must come from the President of the United States, Joe Biden. But, does he have the stuff, the courage, the fortitude, the good Catholic boy contrition in him, to rise up from the cesspool he's been wallowing in all his adult life, and do the honorable and patriotic thing that might possibly save his country? I wonder. Crime family boss and former president, Bill Clinton, said Biden was being George Washington by declining to run for a second term. Biden doesn't need to be Washington. He needs to be President Gerry Ford and grant a "full, free, and absolute pardon for any and all offenses against the United States or the States therein" to President Donald Trump to end the unjust persecutions that have assaulted that man, and us, for six or more years and torn our country apart. Then President Biden might add he is the only one who can close this unfortunate chapter of our history for the sake of preserving our constitution and healing and uniting the American people, in hopes of a robust debate on policies and a fair and uncorrupted election in November. Now that would be the greatest contrition ever made by a politician who doesn't want to be relegated to the ash heap of failed world leaders. Pesident Biden could save his reputation by putting his 'John Hancock' on a pardon for President Donald Trump. Think it could happen?

hombre said...

Why suppose this came up during Trump's administration? Is there some record to support that?

Eva Marie said...

This is a fabulous story. I liked RFK before I read this, now I like him even more. Thank you.

Iman said...

“dead men tell no tales”

Joe Biden to the contrary…

Eva Marie said...

“CIA Director Mike Pompeo was a lead advocate in arguing to the White House for keeping some materials secret, one senior administration official said”
Keep Mike Pompeo out of the Whote House for Trump’s second term. I don’t care how much weight he lost.

Inga said...

Oky dokey then. I wonder what did he do to strip the meat off the skull? Boil it like they do to make hog headcheese? Would need a huge pot, eh?

traditionalguy said...

Way back then the great American leaders were being shot dead regularly. From my freshman year in college to my second year in Law School, John Kennedy to MLK to Bobby Kennedy Sr they were all murdered.We even had a hit song called Martin, Bobby and John.

Now I’m old but the emotions are still raw. Please get over TDS and elect a real courageous American. He will bring closure.

Howard said...

This'll barely move the needle, but in a tight race, a little dab'll do ya

Iman said...

Dat’s a whale of a story, inga!

Eva Marie said...

No idea about making whale cheese. I was more charmed with this part of the story:
“Every time we accelerated on the highway, whale juice would pour into the windows of the car, and it was the rankest thing on the planet,” Kick recalled. “We all had plastic bags over our heads with mouth holes cut out, and people on the highway were giving us the finger, but that was just normal day-to-day stuff for us.”

Gusty Winds said...

Trump probably thinks a lot differently about CIA Presidential assassinations now than he did before Butler, PA.

Readering said...

Trump tried to make this a campaign issue a year ago.
What do Ethel and Caroline think? Some materials covered by a 100 year ban including Jackie and Bobby interview tapes.

Shouting Thomas said...

If Inga isn’t a CIA/FBI bot, she should sign up and get a paycheck for doing their dirty work.

Enemy Within said...

I thought Trump solved the issue when he claimed Ted Cruz' father was somehow involved.....

Furthermore -- didn't Trump promise to release these files the last time he was in office?

traditionalguy said...

Best information now available pins the Dallas Slaughter on Bush’s CIA shooter team in cooperation with LBJ and friends. The only one that did nothing was the patsy Oswald.

Gusty Winds said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Eva Marie said...

Fandor, not only would this be the right thing to do but it would be the best payback to the people who forced him out of the office that Biden could imagine (if he still has the power to do anything). Not only that but it would provide a path for Trump to reciprocate and give Biden and his family pardons.

Tim said...

I suspect Trump, while in office, was listening to the alphabet agencies. I also suspect, after what has come out in the past four years, and especially after the alphabet agencies certainly appear to have tried to allow him to be killed, and will no longer be listened to if he gets elected again.

Michael K said...

The dullard is policing topics this morning.

Cheryl said...

My husband is speculating that there could be something that would have put us in a constitutional crisis years ago and we've been operating on borrowed time since then.

Michael K said...

I remember it, too. I've also read Caro's biography of LBJ.

Marcus Bressler said...

"Abraham, Martin and John" (with Bobby, unmentioned in the title, but he concludes the song, which is what made it so powerful and resonated with people at the time. Dion had the hit with it (though many did not realize it was the same Dion of Doo Wop fame and "Runaround Sue") though others recorded it. Moms Mabley IIRC.

Lazarus said...

This is the "I've the beginning, and now I see the end" moment for Boomers, who became politically conscious about the time of the Kennedy assassination and now slowly leave the scene with the last retrospective. It's a last chance to revisit the Sixties as well as a chilling memento mori. Sorry for the Monday morning downer.

Michael K said...

Nope. Two out of three is not bad, though. Mostly you described Harris.

Iman said...

All of this sideshow horseshit and still no positions or policies on the official Harris - Walz website.

“Where’s the beef?”, asked Clara Peller… the Official Diviner of the Harris - Walz 2024 campaign

Yancey Ward said...

Strange hobby, picking up dead animals off the roadsides and beaches.

Hey, it is what the Democrats did with the present President.

james said...

Suppose that one of the things in the hidden documents is discussion about what we would do if we found that the USSR had ordered Oswald to kill. I'm guessing that we wouldn't go to (especially nuclear) war over an enemy killing the President--but we also wouldn't want our enemies to know that.

PM said...

Shot from the front.

holdfast said...

I saw a clip yesterday where she tried to give an explanation of "collective bargaining" and it was 180 degrees from cogent. Like, how did she graduate from law school?

holdfast said...

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Waste not, want not.

Use every part of the animal.

Rabel said...

With the new format this large block of text running the full width my monitor is very difficult to read.

Line breaks help.

Leland said...

Tulsi Gabbard has now formerly endorsed Trump. I'm sure Inga will botfully call Tulsi "weird" for going to a combat zone with her unit rather than resigning her commission when she ran for Congress.

Howard said...

The boomers are in the tank for Kamala. No one cares since Oliver Stones JFK. Gen X and Millennial Trumper's are the ones carrying the conspiracy torch

Howard said...

It's a feature, not a bug. The strategy isn't aimed at you.

Interested Bystander said...

I suspect the CIA knew Oswald and nudged him in the direction they wanted him to go. Then they made sure he was killed before he could spill the beans. Sound familiar? Think of the young doofus in Butler PA who tried to kill Trump but never lived to talk about it. Was he nudged to do it?

Dr Weevil said...

I believe the song was 'Abraham, Martin, and John': no one ever thought Bobby Kennedy was in a class with the other three - well, except RFK Jr, I suppose.

Jim Gust said...

I wondered why a commission would be needed to handle the simple release of documents, as the investigation is long over. Then I realized it's a way for Trump to force an actual investigation of the attempted assassination of him, outside the clutches of the FBI, DOJ, or CIA.

The Godfather said...

I was a college student in downtown Boston, circulating an "anti-corruption" petition for the Republican Party, when we started to hear word of a shooting in Texas. As you can probably infer, in those days and in that situation, "anti-corruption" meant "anti-Kennedy". But ALL OF US put away our petitions and our literature when we started to hear the news from Dallas. We all joined with the folks in the area hoping and praying that Kennedy survived.
How many Democrats hoped and prayed that Trump would survive the attempted assassin's bullets? Most of you? G*d I hope so!

Michael K said...

That explanation was hilarious. Another reason not to debate.

Michael K said...

In-game is calling her a Russian agent.

Michael K said...

Inga, not Ingame

donald said...

Exactly none of the boomers I grew up with or know support Kamala Harris. Not even my buddy Bob the postman and he’s voted a straight democrat ticket since 1980.

Iman said...

That song gets me every time I hear it. Which isn’t often, but that only makes it more dear. As a 15 year old, I was listening to a baseball game (Dodgers or Angels, I forget) on my radio one night that Summer of ‘68 and fell asleep. I was awakened in the early AM hours by that radio with the reports of RFK’s shooting. I thought of waking my parents to give ‘em the news, but knowing my father had to rise early later that morning for work, I thought better of that and let them sleep.

A bad memory.

John Marzan said...

RFK jr revealed the reason why in his latest interview with tucker on why trump didnt release the JFK files a few days ago... Mike Pompeo
https://x.com/UAPJames/status/1828200148301697386