What Allen Dulles Said When Kennedy Fired Him

September 27, 1961, White House: Allen Dulles, CIA Director since 1953, sat in the Oval Office with President Kennedy. According to accounts from those present, Kennedy was asking for Dulles's resignation. Five months earlier, the Bay of Pigs invasion had failed catastrophically. According to official records, over 1,100 Cuban exiles were captured and Kennedy's administration was humiliated. Kennedy publicly took responsibility but privately blamed the CIA leadership. Now Kennedy was removing that leadership. Dulles's resignation letter dated September 27, 1961, preserved in official records, read: "In accordance with our conversation today, I am submitting my resignation as Director of Central Intelligence, effective upon the swearing in of my successor." The letter made no mention of the Bay of Pigs. In his departure ceremony remarks on November 29, 1961, according to official transcripts, Dulles said: "I leave this office with profound respect for the importance of intelligence to our national security." But in a private letter from October 1961, according to published correspondence, Dulles wrote the Bay of Pigs "could have succeeded with proper support." Publicly gracious, privately convinced Kennedy bore responsibility.

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Disclaimer: This video presents historical events based on official records, letters, and verified documents. Historical interpretations may vary among historians. Viewers are encouraged to consult multiple sources when studying this period.