In a bid to secure his re-election, former President Donald Trump reiterated his promise of releasing all the files relating to the assassination of JFK if he takes the White House in the upcoming election.
Knewz.com has learned that Trump made the announcement alongside John F. Kennedy's nephew Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a campaign rally in Arizona later in August.
At the Arizona rally on August 23, Trump said that if re-elected, he would establish an independent presidential commission on assassination attempts.
This commission would also be tasked with facilitating the release of the remaining files pertaining to the JFK assassination.
Trump's ambition regarding the establishment of the commission came a month after an attempt was made on his life during a Republican rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
"[The said commission] will also conduct a rigorous review of the attack last month," Trump said at the Arizona rally in August.
It is worth noting that the Trump assassination attempt brought the United States Secret Service under terrible criticism from the public, with Director Kimberly A. Cheatle turning in her resignation from the post on July 23, amidst intense pressure from lawmakers.
"In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your Director," Cheatle was quoted as saying at the time.
"This incident does not define us… I do not want my calls for resignation to be a distraction from the great work each and every one of you do towards our vital mission."
It is worth noting that 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, the failed Trump assassin, reportedly conducted research on the assassination of JFK – including the distance between the victim and assailant Lee Harvey Oswald during the 1963 murder – in preparation for the attempt on the Republican candidate's life.
FBI Director Christopher Wray said in front of the House Judiciary Committee in July that Crooks had done a Google search on "how far away was Oswald from Kennedy," on the day he registered to attend the Pennsylvania rally.
Speaking of the JFK files, Trump said at the rally in Arizona that his promise is meant as a "tribute" to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who recently abandoned his independent candidacy and endorsed Trump in the November elections.
"[RFK Jr.] lost his father and uncle in service to our country, and [...] was subject to repeated threats to his safety during the course of his campaign," Trump further said.
Notably, RFK Jr. is the son of former Attorney General and New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who was also assassinated during his own presidential campaign in 1968.
Trump had written on the Truth Social platform a few months prior: "When I return to the White House, I will declassify and unseal all JFK assassination related documents... It's been 60 years, time for the American people to know the TRUTH!"
It is worth noting that Trump had made the same promise during his time at the White House in 2017 and oversaw the release of over 19,000 files pertaining to the matter, according to reports.
However, he eventually sided with the CIA and FBI and blocked the release of the remaining documents.
In 2022, President Joe Biden facilitated the release of an additional 19,000 documents.
Notably, the decision of both presidents to gradually release a limited number of files goes against the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 passed unanimously by Congress.
The Act stated that all assassination-related records had to be publicly disclosed by October 26, 2017, and that "only a president can certify a limited number of national security concerns that would justify postponing the public availability of a document," as explained by Business Insider.