Newly declassified records from the JFK assassination files, unveiled on March 18, 2025, by the National Archives, reveal a stunning reality: the CIA had embedded so many agents under State Department cover that they outnumbered genuine diplomats in key U.S. embassies. According to one document, “On President Kennedy’s Inauguration Day, 47 percent of the political officers serving in United States Embassies were CIA” 176-10030-10422. This isn’t a minor oversight—it’s a systemic overreach that undermines the State Department’s role and raises red flags for Republicans who’ve long questioned unchecked intelligence agency power.

The files paint a picture of an agency that quietly commandeered diplomatic functions, using State Department cover as a convenient shield for its operations. In Vienna, for instance, the extent of this infiltration is stark: “In the American Embassy in Vienna, out of 20 persons listed in the October 1960 Foreign Service List as being in the Political Section, 16 are CAS personnel” 176-10030-10422. That’s 80% of the political section—CIA agents posing as diplomats, outnumbering the real State Department staff nearly five to one. Republicans see this as a betrayal of the diplomatic mission, prioritizing espionage over the nation’s foreign policy objectives.

This wasn’t a temporary arrangement gone awry—it was a deliberate expansion, driven by the CIA’s preference for official cover due to its ease, cost-effectiveness, and security benefits, as noted in the documents. The 1948 Dulles-Correa-Jackson report warned against relying on State Department cover, urging the CIA to develop its own private systems, but the agency ignored that advice, steadily increasing its footprint instead. Republicans argue this encroachment eroded State’s authority, with CIA mission chiefs sometimes wielding more influence than ambassadors—sometimes even pursuing conflicting policies, as the files suggest happened in Laos.

For Americans who value a clear separation of powers, this disclosure is a wake-up call—our embassies were effectively intelligence hubs, not diplomatic outposts, during Kennedy’s time. The files also note that in Paris, CIA personnel outnumbered the embassy’s political section staff 10-to-2, occupying the top floor in plain sight—a fact locals knew well. This isn’t just inefficiency; it’s a potential threat to national security, blurring lines between diplomacy and covert ops, a concern Republicans have raised for decades.

Critics might shrug this off as ancient history—but that’s a dodge when you consider the implications for trust in government. Voters across the heartland are rightly skeptical—82 percent speech approval from Trump’s March 4 address shows they want leaders who prioritize transparency over secrecy, and these files fuel that demand. Republicans see this as evidence of a need for tighter reins on intelligence agencies, not more unchecked expansion.

This isn’t just a historical footnote—it’s a lesson for today. The Trump administration’s focus on accountability and clear roles for federal agencies aligns with the need to prevent such overreach in the future—97 percent GOP approval reflects a party united behind restoring order. These files remind us that unchecked power, even in the name of national security, can erode the very institutions it’s meant to protect.