As the remaining files related to John F. Kennedy’s assassination inch closer to public release, a newly resurfaced memo allegedly written by the former president just ten days before his death has ignited fresh speculation over what he knew—and what he was trying to uncover.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the release of all remaining records related to the assassinations of President Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. The order, signed on January 23, instructs the Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General to devise a plan for the declassification of the JFK records within 15 days, with additional time allotted for the release of documents concerning the other two cases.
The decision marked the latest development in a decades-long debate over government transparency regarding the Kennedy assassination. The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 required all related documents to be publicly disclosed by October 26, 2017, barring exceptional circumstances.
However, successive administrations delayed full disclosure, citing national security concerns. Trump’s directive now seeks to end those delays and make the remaining files available to the public. As part of this process, the FBI recently announced the discovery of approximately 2,400 previously undisclosed records related to the Kennedy assassination, amounting to roughly 14,000 pages.
Meanwhile, the so-called JFK UFO memo has been a topic of speculation for years. The document in question allegedly shows President Kennedy requesting the CIA to provide information about unidentified flying objects (UFOs) just 10 days before his assassination on November 22, 1963.
The memo, from November 12, 1963, is officially titled National Security Memorandum No. 271 and primarily references cooperation with the Soviet Union on space exploration.
Another document, often linked to this memo, is a letter reportedly sent from Kennedy to the Director of the CIA, requesting a review of UFO intelligence to prevent potential misidentification during the Cold War. Some UFO researchers believe this letter suggests that Kennedy was seeking sensitive intelligence on UFOs, which has fueled speculation about whether this played any role in his assassination.
The memo states, “When this data has been sorted out, I would like you to arrange a program of data sharing with NASA where unknowns are a factor.” It adds, “This will help NASA mission directors in their defensive responsibilities.”
However, the authenticity of these documents remains a subject of debate. National Security Memorandum No. 271 is a real document, though it focuses on U.S.-Soviet space research cooperation, not UFOs specifically.
On November 22 that year, President Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. As his open-top limousine passed the Texas School Book Depository, shots rang out, striking Kennedy in the head and neck.
He was rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as president aboard Air Force One just hours later. Authorities quickly arrested Lee Harvey Oswald, a former Marine and self-proclaimed Marxist, who worked in the book depository.
However, before he could stand trial, Oswald was shot and killed by nightclub owner Jack Ruby while in police custody, fueling decades of conspiracy theories and speculation about the true circumstances behind Kennedy’s murder. The Warren Commission, established to investigate the assassination, concluded that Oswald acted alone, but doubts have persisted, with some believing there was a broader conspiracy involving the CIA, the Mafia, or even elements within the U.S. government.
