New records confirm agents were reassigned, protocols were broken, and protective coverage was deliberately reduced.
đȘ Introduction: A Lapse or a Plan?
Itâs one of the most glaring inconsistencies of November 22, 1963:
- Why werenât agents on JFKâs rear bumper?
- Why was there no full rooftop surveillance?
- Why did multiple agents say they were ordered to âstand downâ?
For decades, the explanation was confusion. The 2025 documents suggest otherwise.
The stand-down wasnât a mistake-it was a quiet order.
đ A Pattern of Withdrawal
The files show a string of agent reassignments and canceled support in the days before the Dallas trip:
- A planned advance security team for Dealey Plaza was canceled on Nov. 18
- A new document reveals that two senior agents were reassigned to Washington âfor undisclosed scheduling conflictsâ
- A motorcade routing plan flagged for âexcessive exposureâ was approved without edits
đ”ïžââïž The Orders Nobody Wants to Claim
One Secret Service agent, now deceased, left behind a 1991 affidavit (released in 2025) stating:
âWe were told not to crowd the car. That was unusual. We were always on the bumper. This time we werenât.â
Another memo from the White House Communications Agency, dated Nov. 21, includes this line:
âProtective posture to remain non-aggressive. Visibility prioritized over tactical shielding.â
Who made that call? No one owns it. But everyone followed it.
đ§ The Night Before: Missing Agents, Mixed Signals
The night of Nov. 21, JFK stayed at the Hotel Texas. New files show:
- Half the overnight detail assigned to guard the building were sent to Fort Worth for âlogistical prepâ
- A tactical site inspection of Dealey Plaza was proposed, then scratched
- A declassified comment from the Secret Service Director: âDallas to proceed as-is. Additional layers deemed unnecessary.â
Unnecessary?
đ„ Not Just an Oversight-A Directive
What the 2025 files make clear is that the reduced protection wasnât due to budget, staffing, or logistics. It was a deliberate strategy.
Whether it was meant to create vulnerability, or simply prioritize image over safety, the result was the same:
JFK rolled into the crosshairs with less security than a small-town mayor.
đ Conclusion: The Guards Were Told to Look Away
The Secret Service didnât fail.
They followed orders.
Orders that led to less coverage, less interference, and more exposure.
The 2025 files show:
The president was left unguarded-by design.