On Tuesday, the Trump administration declassified 2,182 documents related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy (JFK).
Comprising approximately 63,400 pages, the files were uploaded to the US National Archives and Records Administration’s website in two rounds.
This release follows an executive order issued by Trump on January 23, which also included documents related to the deaths of Senator Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) and civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK). While most of the files are now accessible, historians and conspiracy theorists may need months to analyze their contents.
What Do the New Documents Reveal?
The newly released documents include handwritten and typewritten records, many of which were previously withheld for classification. While the files are expected to provide fresh insights into JFK’s assassination, they are unlikely to resolve the decades-old conspiracy theories surrounding his death.
Notably, the release does not include 2,400 recently discovered records by the FBI, which remain under review. This has left some experts questioning whether the full truth about JFK’s assassination will ever come to light.
The JFK Assassination: A Timeline of Events
John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was assassinated on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. At just 46 years old, JFK was shot while riding in a motorcade with his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, Texas Governor John Connally, and Connally’s wife, Nelly. Governor Connally was also wounded in the attack.
After JFK’s death, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as president and ordered an investigation led by Chief Justice Earl Warren. The Warren Commission concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald, a former Marine and communist activist, acted alone in killing JFK.
Why Are These Conspiracy Theories Still Making Rounds?
Despite the Warren Commission’s findings, the JFK assassination has fueled countless conspiracy theories. A 2023 Gallup poll revealed that two-thirds of Americans believe Oswald did not act alone. Skeptics point to several factors, including:
1.Oswald’s Mysterious Death: Two days after JFK’s assassination, Oswald was shot and killed by Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby while in police custody. This prevented a trial and left many questions unanswered.
2.The “Magic Bullet” Theory: The Warren Commission claimed that a single 6.5-millimeter bullet killed JFK and injured Governor Connally. Many find this theory implausible.
3.Withheld Evidence: The fact that thousands of documents remained classified for decades has only deepened suspicions of a cover-up.
The Previous Releases of JFK Files
The release of JFK assassination documents is not unprecedented. In 2017, during Trump’s first term, 2,800 files were declassified, though hundreds remained withheld under pressure from the CIA and FBI. In 2023, President Joe Biden released an additional 17,000 documents.
However, the latest release marks a significant step toward transparency, even as some records remain undisclosed.
