THE JFK FILES: A Resurgence of Antisemitic Conspiracy Theories

Transparency Meets Conspiracy

The first wave of the remaining classified documents in the JFK Assassination Records Collection ordered for release by U.S. President Donald Trump was meant to create transparency.

According to the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), over 77,000 pages have been released to date, across thousands of PDFs.

But instead of readers combing through the files with historical curiosity for truth or answers, some people blamed the Jews.

Sadly, this is no surprise. Think back just a few months. The tragic Potomac mid-air collision in January? Jews were blamed. The New Orleans New Year’s attack? Also blamed on Jews. That brief TikTok ban in January? You guessed it—Jews again. In today’s conspiracy culture, the formula rarely changes. When a large event captures the public’s focus, the pattern remains the same: twist facts, promote disinformation, blame Jews.

A Surge in Antisemitic Content

CyberWell researched and analyzed dozens of posts in English from five major social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube. These posts, collected between March 18–22, either explicitly claimed that Jews assassinated JFK or suggested they were involved in some capacity. Much of the most hateful, antisemitic content we found came from X—which also comprises the majority of our dataset. Some posts even reached audiences in the millions.

Here’s the data:

The numbers below reflect the average of the 6 months prior to March 19 as compared to on March 19, the day after the files were released.

• Posts containing the keywords “JFK” and “Jews” spiked by a staggering 1,629%.
• Similarly, posts claiming “Jews killed JFK” increased by 3,654% on March 19.
• By March 20^th, the number of “Jews killed JFK” posts increased by 4,307%.
• The use of the term “Rothschild” in antisemitic posts also surged on March 19^th by 27%.
• By March 20^th, antisemitic posts including the term “Rothschild” had increased by 125%,
• Posts containing the combined words “JFK” AND “nuclear” AND “Jews” increased by 222% on March 19^th. By March 20^th, the frequency of those posts increased by 459%.

Below, we examine a few of the top online narratives, tropes, and conspiracy theories regarding the release of the files and JFK’s assassination – all ultimately blaming the Jewish people.

Pick a Trope, Any Trope

Many posts surrounding the JFK file release were hardly subtle. They flat-out claimed that Jews were behind the JFK assassination. These accusations were often laced with a mix of familiar tropes that have circulated for decades; from religious slurs to historical distortions. These narratives don’t rely on facts – they feed on repetition, conspiracy, and hate with little regard for logic or history.

In the post below, the user plainly states: “Jews killed JFK”, making a clear antisemitic accusation. To support the claim, the user shares a declassified U.S. Secret Service memo that mentions “Jewish backers” in connection with the assassination. The reference is vague and misleading, attempting to falsely suggest that Jews, as a group, financed or orchestrated the assassination.

Text highlighted below: “We now have plenty of money — our new backers are Jews — as soon as ‘we’ (or ‘they’) take care of Kennedy…”

Similar to the previous post, the X user below also blames Jews for JFK’s assassination and shares the same declassified image. What makes this one especially alarming is its reach—it’s been viewed over 1.7 million times, helping to further spread the false accusation to a massive audience.

Another X user also pulls from alleged files in the assassination records, which – like others – are being used by antisemites as so-called “evidence” to support their claims. However, this X user takes it even further…

Beyond JFK: A Broader Web of Conspiracies

As seen in the post below, the user alleges that Jews used sexual blackmail to carry out JFK’s assassination.

Associating Jews with sexual manipulation or deviancy is a long-standing antisemitic trope, one that dehumanizes Jews and falsely paints them as morally corrupt and predatory.

The accusations didn’t stop with JFK’s assassination. In the Facebook post below, the user connects Jews to a series of conspiracies – contemporary, historical, and biblical.

The post opens with a reference to Revelation 2:9 from the New Testament, quoting the phrase “Synagogue of Satan” – a term frequently weaponized in religiously motivated antisemitism to paint Jews as evil or spiritually illegitimate.

The user goes on to blame Jews for the rise of the Bolsheviks, 9/11, and the USS Liberty incident and invokes the discredited Khazar myth, which promotes the false claim that modern Jews are imposters.

The claim that every U.S. president is a “wall kisser” suggests that American leaders are controlled by Jewish power. The user also mentions “Metzitzah b’peh”, a Jewish circumcision practice, and falsely frames it as evidence of sexual perversion. This is paired with accusations that Jews control the porn industry. Nearly every major antisemitic narrative is crammed into one post – from religious demonization to political control to sexual deviance. It’s a full-on conspiracy collage – and a deeply dangerous one, at that.

The ‘Jews Wanted Nukes’ Theory

One of the more specific conspiracy theories to gain traction after the JFK file release is the claim that Jews orchestrated President Kennedy’s assassination to secure nuclear weapons. In this narrative, JFK is framed as the final obstacle standing in the way of Jewish access to nuclear armament and therefore requiring removal. There is no evidence to support this claim, but that hasn’t stopped antisemites from spreading it across social media. Like most antisemitic conspiracies, this is a rebrand of old tropes – casting Jews as all-powerful, secretive, and dangerous – under the guise of political analysis.

To understand the origins of this conspiracy theory, let’s examine the historical backdrop.

In the early 1960’s, reports indicated that Israel was developing a nuclear reactor in Dimona, a project that President Kennedy strongly opposed. This fueled speculation among antisemites, who wrongly alleged that Israel had him eliminated to remove the obstacle to its nuclear ambitions. However, as with many conspiracy theories, this claim didn’t stop at Israel – some scapegoated all Jews for Israel’s alleged actions.

This narrative gained further traction when former Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi publicly promoted the theory at the United Nations. In a 2009 UN General Assembly speech, Gaddafi declared:

“[…] And then there’s the assassination of United States President Kennedy in ’63. We want to know who killed him and why. There was someone called Lee Harvey Oswald, who was then killed by one Jack Ruby. Why did he kill him? Jack Ruby and Israel killed Lee Harvey Oswald, who killed Kennedy. Why did this Israeli kill Kennedy’s killer? […] He died under mysterious circumstances before he could be tried. […] We must open the files. The whole world knows that Kennedy wanted to investigate the Israeli Dimona nuclear reactor. This involves international peace and security and weapons of mass destruction. That is why we should open this file […]” [1:18:13-1:19:22].

By citing Kennedy’s stance on Israel’s nuclear program, Gaddafi reinforced a conspiracy theory that has since become a staple in antisemitic circles.

The X user below feeds into this conspiracy theory, incorrectly claiming that JFK was assassinated as part of a plot to ensure Jews could acquire nuclear weapons.

Similarly, this Facebook user below echoes the same core accusation but takes it a step further, claiming that Jews paid the CIA to carry out JFK’s assassination. At the same time, they veer into Holocaust revisionism by questioning “what really happened during ww2”. Like others, They use the same declassified document to erroneously lend credibility to their claims, repurposing it as so-called evidence to support an antisemitic narrative.

The X user below doesn’t just claim that Jews killed JFK for nuclear weapons – they also frame the assassination as part of a “Masonic ritual”, referencing Freemasonry. In conspiracy circles, Freemasonry is often portrayed as a shadowy, global power structure. It’s frequently tied to antisemitic narratives, with theorists either claiming that Jews control the Freemasons or conflating the two entirely, depicting them as part of the same alleged effort to dominate world affairs. Notice how, even when hateful creators are scapegoating Jews, they often find ways to fold in additional antisemitic tropes. It’s rarely just one narrative – it’s a layered mix of blame and bigotry.

Evading Detection: Dog Whistles and Coded Language

CyberWell has observed a growing trend of antisemitic users attempting to evade content moderation by using coded language – also known as dog whistles – to refer to Jews. A common tactic has been altering the spelling of “Jews” with variations like “J3ws”, “Joos”, or “Jevvs”. As these workarounds become more recognizable, some users have turned to emojis, instead.

In the video below, the TikTok user stares silently into the camera while displaying on-screen text. To reference Jews, he uses the juice box emoji (🧃)—a not-so-clever stand-in based on its phonetic similarity to “juice”. The post blames Jews for JFK’s assassination and links the accusation to a broader narrative about political manipulation, foreign policy control, and the pursuit of nuclear weapons.

The good news? TikTok appears to have caught on. Shortly after CyberWell identified this video but before we reported it to TikTok, not only was the content removed, but the account itself was taken down.

The Rothschild Conspiracy: Same Script, New Spin

The Rothschilds are a frequent target in antisemitic conspiracy theories. Known for their wealth and influence in the 18th and 19th centuries, the family is often falsely portrayed by antisemites as the masterminds behind global economic control – or even world domination. So, it’s not surprising that the JFK file release has sparked a new round of accusations blaming the Rothschilds for the assassination. The claim? That JFK stood in the way of their financial interests. It’s a familiar narrative: Jews are cast as wealthy, powerful, and secretly manipulating world events. What’s changed is the packaging – these old tropes are dressed up with cherry-picked excerpts from the JFK documents and far-fetched stories designed to give accusers a false sense of credibility.

Take a look at the post below with 2.8 million views – a massive reach for a tweet packed with conspiratorial claims. The X user shares images of what they claim are U.S. government memoranda, using them to push a string of accusations. What makes these narratives particularly insidious is how they blend multiple layers of antisemitism.  The post advances familiar antisemitic tropes that portray Jews, Israel, and the Rothschilds as shadowy forces orchestrating major global events. One of the central claims alleges that the CIA operated out of a Rothschild-owned property in Paris – an insinuation meant to tie the family directly to covert operations and, by extension, JFK’s assassination.

In the following screenshot from a 4chan post shared on X, the user lays out an elaborate conspiracy theory. According to the post, the Rothschilds allegedly manipulated the U.S. financial system to cause the Great Depression, took control of the CIA and the media, blackmailed public figures, and ultimately orchestrated the assassination of JFK. It’s a sweeping narrative that folds multiple major antisemitic tropes into a single storyline – one that pins decades of global events on a single Jewish family.

Jews Killed Jesus — and JFK?

As wild as it sounds, some conspiracy theorists have found a way to tie the death of Jesus to the assassination of JFK. In this narrative, the centuries-old accusation that “the Jews killed Jesus” is recycled and fused with modern political conspiracies, suggesting that Jews have always been behind the deaths of powerful figures. It’s a striking example of how religious and political antisemitism collide – using ancient blame to justify new hatred. With the release of the JFK files, some online voices seized the moment to revitalize this age-old trope.

One example is this tweet in reply to Kanye West on X (because who could forget Ye’s latest antisemitic outburst back in February). West’s original tweet has since been deleted, but the user who replied not only accuses Jews of killing JFK, but also adds another unfounded claim into the mix. It’s a pattern we’ve seen before: once the scapegoating begins, it often expands beyond a single event, feeding into broader antisemitic narratives.

This tweet below also promotes antisemitic views by blaming Jews for political violence and assassinations throughout history. It suggests that all Jews are involved in violence and amplifies similar narratives in a second tweet. Together, the post weaves in a mix of antisemitic conspiracy theories, again linking Jews to other high-profile events like the USS Liberty incident, 9/11, JFK’s assassination, and additional alleged acts of espionage. Furthermore, the use of the word “chutzpah” is intended to mock Jewish cultural identity, twisting a common Yiddish term into a derogatory slur.

Another X post accuses Jews not only of killing Jesus and JFK, but also escalates the rhetoric by alleging that Jews, as a collective, are responsible for killing Palestinians and children. These sweeping and inflammatory accusations framing Jews as inherently violent or murderous feeds into dangerous antisemitic narratives that have historically incited hatred and violence. The fact that this post has been viewed thousands of times increases the risk of spreading that hate even further.

Note that X has limited the post’s visibility, stating it “may” violate their Hateful Conduct Policy – but limiting visibility alone is not enough. The content remains accessible and the harm continues as users are still able to view, engage with, and amplify it. A major flaw in this tool is its reactive nature, in which restrictions are often imposed only after a post has already reached many viewers. This means that the damage is already done, regardless of later mitigation.

Jack Ruby Was Jewish — And That’s All It Took

Another narrative gaining traction revisits the killing of Lee Harvey Oswald (JFK’s assassinator) by Jack Ruby (born Jacob Rubenstein). Conspiracy theorists have latched onto Ruby’s Jewish identity as supposed evidence of a broader plot, framing his actions as part of an alleged coordinated effort by Jews to silence Oswald. In this version of events, Ruby isn’t acting alone; he’s cast as a stand-in for the entire Jewish people.

Lucas Gage, a prominent X user with a history of promoting extremist content, posted a tweet directly supporting this narrative – and several others – related to JFK’s assassination. Gage is a known antisemite and former chairman of the white supremacist group National Youth Front. CyberWell has documented multiple antisemitic posts from his account over time. In one of his latest posts, which has subsequently been removed from X after CyberWell brought it to their attention, he shared a nearly three-minute song titled: “Kennedy Killers”. This was created using the Suno platform and the lyrics blame Jews for the deaths of multiple members of the Kennedy family. The song weaves together long-standing antisemitic tropes, portraying Jews as corrupt, dangerous, evil, and manipulative. Below, we’ve included sample lyrics from the track:

“When all three Kennedys died, they called it a curse. But the truth is the Jews, put each one in a hearse […] The Jews and their lies, always making it worse. The international clique of the sick and the wicked […] Once done, the Jews made the moves and bore false witness and created the cover story […] They blamed it on Lee Harvey, who was not the mastermind. He was shot and killed by the Jew, Jack Rubenstein. Some Jews even tried to blame the Cubans for this crime. But the truth lies behind what made Ben Gurion resign […] There’s no chance all this just randomly leads back to the Jews. This was a Mossad job to kill a US president that refused to let Israel have nuclear powers that they would abuse […] The point is, all Kennedy wanted to do was make things right, but the Jews couldn’t risk it and exercised their might. These are the real reasons JFK was killed […] This caused the Jews to kill our president with their shills. And just to be safe, they had to kill RFK […]”.

The song claims that Jews orchestrated a cover-up and pinned the assassination on Lee Harvey Oswald. Its fictional narrative functions as a dangerous call to collectively blame Jews for global injustices, echoing deeply rooted antisemitic conspiracy theories. Prior to its removal, the post had been viewed over 16k times – and that number climbs even higher when factoring in a repost from one of Gage’s alternate accounts, which garnered more than 37k views.

In a TikTok video depicted in the screenshot shown below, the user promotes antisemitic conspiracy theories by blaming Jews for JFK’s assassination. It features an image of the Happy Merchant – a well-known antisemitic caricature with exaggerated features – wearing a kippah and an Israeli flag tie, aiming a gun at JFK through a scope. In the video, the speaker states:

“[…] Evidence from the JFK files spills the beans on Israel and says a hell of a lot about how the Jews wanted Kennedy gone […] According to Dallas Police and records in the JFK files, it was Bloom [Sam Bloom] who pushed the hardest for the police to transfer Lee Harvey Oswald, from the Dallas Police station to the Dallas County Jail. Now, it was during that transfer that Jack Ruby shot Oswald. What was Jack Ruby’s real last name? Jacob Rubenstein […] That’s kind of a coincidence […] the Jewish network in Dallas had Kennedy in their sights”.

The video combines conspiratorial framing with explicitly antisemitic imagery and language, accusing Jews and Israel of orchestrating the assassination. The use of the Happy Merchant caricature dehumanizes Jews, portraying them as scheming. By repeatedly invoking names like Jacob Rubenstein and Sam Bloom, the speaker attempts to frame Jewish identity itself as suspicious, suggesting the existence of a coordinated Jewish network behind the killing.

Lastly, this TikTok user also brings up Jack Ruby/Jacob Rubenstein following the release of the JFK files. The video shows a young woman researching a theory linking Israel to the JFK assassination. The onscreen text states:

“Earlier this week I saw a theory online linking ‘Isntreal’ [Israel not real] to the JFK Assassination. Today I decided to look into it. After a lot of googling, I couldn’t find it. Even changing search terms, the theory seems either scrubbed or buried. I did learn that the man who assassinated Lee Harvey Oswald belonged to a Zionist synagogue. He k*lled Oswald 2 days after JFK’s assassination, after Oswald claimed to be the fall guy. I also learned Kennedy was against ‘Isntreal’ acquiring nuclear weapons at the time. Interesting”.

By highlighting that Jack Ruby belonged to a “Zionist synagogue”, the speaker uses the term “Zionist” as a slur to single out Ruby’s Jewish identity. Additionally, the focus on his religion reinforces the notion that Jewish affiliation alone provides validity to a conspiracy theory.

From Viral Files to Viral Hate: Why This Moment Matters

JFK’s assassination isn’t just an historical event – it’s become a breeding ground for conspiracy theories and unfortunately, a convenient excuse for antisemitic scapegoating. Even in 2025, nearly 62 years later, high-profile figures with massive audiences are still finding ways to use this moment to target Jews. One recent example? Candace Owens. Already known for pushing antisemitic narratives – especially in the wake of the October 7 attacks – Owens released a YouTube video titled: “So… The ‘Conspiracy Theorists’ Were Right About JFK | Candace Ep 164”. She implies that Jews were behind the assassination without directly saying so. Owens references JFK’s supposed resistance to Israel’s nuclear ambitions and links Jewish identity to global power structures – all under the guise of simply “asking questions”.

At one point, Owens tries to shield herself from criticism by stating: “I’m going to use only Jewish sources here so we can remove ourselves from any claims of antisemitism”. Framing it this way gives the illusion of credibility, while subtly inviting her viewers to draw antisemitic conclusions themselves. And let’s not ignore the title itself. Including the phrase “The Conspiracy Theorists Were Right” with “Conspiracy Theorists” in quotations marks sends a clear signal of support to the numerous conspiracy theorists who blame Jews for global events – whether Owens says it outright or not.

The Urgent Need for Proactive Content Moderation

Content like this doesn’t exist in a vacuum, especially when it comes from high-profile voices: it spreads fast, reaches millions, and carries weight. Social media platforms must do more to monitor and respond to antisemitic content from influencers with large followings, especially when they engage with inflammatory topics like this one.

This is especially urgent given how quickly antisemitic users are evolving their tactics to evade moderation. As CyberWell has tracked, emojis have become a go-to strategy – particularly the juice box emoji (🧃), used as a phonetic stand-in for “Jews”. While some symbols, like rats (🐀), pigs (🐷, 🐖) or devils (👺, 👹, 👿) are more obvious, the juice box represents a new level of coded language – subtle, but effective in spreading hate. These tactics allow harmful narratives to flourish in plain sight, often slipping past moderation filters entirely.

With that in mind, CyberWell proposes a few clear recommendations:

1. Social media platforms must treat antisemitic conspiracy theories in general, but particularly when revolving around a sensitive or trending topic, as the serious threat they are.
2. Limiting the visibility of a post promoting harmful narratives is not enough.
3. When content clearly violates community guidelines, it should be removed entirely.
4. Having a big platform does not give you a free pass to spread hate.

And finally, a note of realism:

If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that with every major real-world event, someone will likely find a way to point the finger at the Jews. It’s a pattern we’ve seen time and time again. While we may not be able to eliminate this entirely, we can work to slow its spread. And in a world where social media shapes so much of what people see and believe, that’s where the effort must start. That’s why we’re urging platforms to take this problem seriously – not just when antisemitic content goes viral, but before it ever gets the chance to gain traction.

Because by the time it’s trending, it’s already too late.