60th Anniversary of JFK Assassination Revives Calls for Open Records

The assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which took place on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, continues to spark debates and conspiracy theories even six decades later. Recent promises by former President Donald Trump to release the remaining classified records related to the assassination have reignited interest and speculation on what these documents might reveal.

More than sixty years after the tragic event, many still hope for a complete disclosure of all documents. Experts warn, however, that the release is unlikely to produce any groundbreaking revelations. Gerald Posner, author of «Case Closed,» which posits that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, remarked, «Anybody waiting for a smoking gun that’s going to turn this case upside down will be sorely disappointed,» underscoring the view held by many scholars and authorities on the matter.

The anniversary was marked in Dallas with diverse memorial activities, including a moment of silence at Dealey Plaza, the site where Kennedy’s motorcade was passing when the shots were fired.

While President Trump promised during his first term to declassify all documents, some records remain withheld to this day. It is reported that only a few thousand documents remain unreleased, stoking curiosity about their content. Under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of the 1990s, these materials are held within the National Archives and Records Administration. Although the Act mandated their release by 2017, certain documents were exempted through presidential order, a decision that Trump upheld.

Many of the released documents provide insights into intelligence operations during the Cold War, further elucidating Lee Harvey Oswald’s activities in the months leading up to the assassination. This includes his visits to the Soviet and Cuban embassies in Mexico City, shortly before the shooting. National security attorney Mark Zaid commented on how these documents contribute to an understanding of the period, offering «a great picture of what was happening during the Cold War and the activities of the CIA.»

Approximately 3,000-4,000 records have yet to be fully disclosed, with some entirely redacted. This includes documents such as tax returns of Oswald and nightclub owner Jack Ruby, known for killing Oswald two days after Kennedy’s assassination. These returns were not subject to mandatory disclosure under archival legislation.

The persistent demand for transparency reflects ongoing public doubt about the official narrative delivered by the Warren Commission, which concluded that Oswald acted independently. Stephen Fagin, curator of the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, observed, «People want to make sense of this and they want to find the solution that fits the crime,» voicing the enduring skepticism.

Meanwhile, Larry J. Sabato from the University of Virginia Center for Politics, who has long studied the assassination, noted, «It just seemed so fantastical that one very disturbed individual could end up pulling off the crime of the century,» a sentiment that has fueled countless conspiracy theories over the years.