JFK files: Trump promises to release remaining documents except those with names of people still alive

2,800 documents were made public on Thursday

Before Thursday’s release, Mr Trump said he had no plans to block the publication of the files (Jon Elswick/AP)

Donald Trump said on Saturday he would release all documents related to the 1963 assassination of John F Kennedy except those with the names and addresses of people who are still alive.

"After strict consultation with General Kelly, the CIA and other Agencies, I will be releasing ALL #JFKFiles other than the names and addresses of any mentioned person who is still living," Mr Trump wrote in a series of tweets, referring to his chief of staff John Kelly.

The announcement came after the President said on Thursday he was ordering the release of 2,800 JFK files.

But he also agreed to withhold hundreds of documents the US intelligence community still deemed to be sensitive, more than 50 years after the incident.

Mr Trump had said he wanted to release all government material relating to the 1963 shooting of the 35th president, but had been persuaded to provide a six-month exception for some material.

Most of the files not being made public come from the CIA and FBI, and the fact some are being held onto will likely fuel further conspiracy theories, rather than make them go away.

Before Thursday’s release, Mr Trump said he had no plans to block the publication of the files.

Congress mandated in 1992 that all assassination documents be released within 25 years, but the President had the power to block them on the grounds that making them public would harm intelligence or military operations, law enforcement or foreign relations.