Declassified JFK files reignite Cruz conspiracy theories
The father of U.S. Senator Ted Cruz was alleged to have participated in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963—this is one among the numerous theories concerning Kennedy's assassination. Documents declassified by Donald Trump have led to their renewed dissemination by social media users.
On March 18, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump revealed over 63,000 pages of documents related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Many of these documents were previously accessible but contained redacted sections, which only fueled conspiracy theories. However, it turns out that declassifying the files did not mitigate the situation.
Conspiracy theories surrounding Cruz's family
One theory that gained popularity concerns the father of U.S. Senator Ted Cruz. According to this theory, Rafael Cruz was involved in the assassination of Kennedy.
"Why is Ted Cruz's father still free?", "JFK files revealed! The Cruz family disappeared", "I just read the new JFK files published today by President Trump and it turns out Ted Cruz’s father really killed Kennedy!" – these are just some of the numerous posts published on the portal X.
This narrative began during the 2016 presidential campaign, when Senator Ted Cruz was a contender against Trump for the Republican nomination. The American tabloid National Enquirer, which supported Trump, published an article suggesting that Ted Cruz's Father was linked to JFK assassination. The article was based on a photo of Lee Harvey Oswald, Kennedy's alleged assassin, with other individuals, taken in 1963 in New Orleans.
The tabloid relied on the opinion of a photography expert, Mitch Goldstone, who noted that the unidentified man in the photo resembled Rafael Cruz (a Protestant preacher from Cuba) based on his passport photo. Trump quickly exploited this theory, saying on Fox News: "His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald’s being — you know, shot!" And he added: "I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous."
The FactCheck portal clarified that the photos used by the tabloid were of poor quality, making it impossible to definitively identify the man as Rafael Cruz. Furthermore, Goldstone denied in an interview with the portal that he claimed the man in the photo was definitely Rafael Cruz. Additionally, in 2024, during a trial concerning Trump's indictment for falsifying business documents, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker admitted that the tabloid completely fabricated the story about Senator Ted Cruz's father.
Declassified documents and conspiracy theories
Although the declassified documents do not confirm any conspiracy theories, they reveal many details about the actions of the CIA and its agents. The Warren Commission, which investigated the assassination, determined in 1964 that Kennedy was killed by Oswald acting alone. However, many people still question this conclusion.
Among other conspiracy theories, hypotheses exist about the involvement of the mafia, Fidel Castro's government, or the KGB. Some suggest the assassination resulted from actions by anti-Castro and anti-communist CIA agents.
Reactions to document declassification
Trump's declassification of the documents sparked a wave of speculation on social media. Users on the portal X posted comments suggesting Rafael Cruz fled the USA just before the release of the files. Ted Cruz himself commented briefly: "Nothing to see here."
The contents of the declassified documents did not alter the Warren Commission's findings, but—as is evident—they have not dispelled doubts or ended speculation about Kennedy's assassination.
