On March 18, 2025, a new batch of documents related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy was made public.
This release, consisting of over 63,000 pages and 2,182 PDF documents, is the latest effort to uncover the truth about the tragic event that took place more than six decades ago.
However, as historians and political experts dove into the files, the reactions were mixed—while some uncovered intriguing details, others were left disappointed by what they found.
A Long-Awaited Release
The release of these documents was part of President Donald Trump’s promise to declassify all files relating to JFK’s assassination.
For years, these records have been the subject of public speculation and conspiracy theories.
But when the files were finally revealed, they came with a mixture of excitement and frustration.
Despite claims of total transparency, many researchers found large portions of the documents still heavily redacted, leaving them with more questions than answers.
Shocking Revelations and Intriguing Documents
Among the newly released documents, a few pieces stood out.
One of the more controversial details involved a CIA informant, John Garrett Underhill Jr., who, according to reports, believed that a small faction within the CIA had a hand in Kennedy’s assassination.
Underhill, who later died under mysterious circumstances, reportedly warned friends about his fears just before his death, which some have speculated may have been tied to his knowledge of the conspiracy.
Though these revelations sparked interest, others pointed out that the information had been discussed for years and offered no new breakthroughs.
Another document uncovered details about Lee Harvey Oswald, the man accused of assassinating Kennedy.
These papers revealed that Oswald was closely monitored by the KGB while he was in the Soviet Union but was described as a poor shot—a detail that some researchers found significant given the scope of the assassination.
Additionally, the files included a letter from 1978, where a man named Sergyj Czornonoh claimed he had warned U.S. officials about Oswald’s plans to kill Kennedy, offering a potentially important perspective on pre-assassination warnings.
The Backlash and Frustrations
As the files were disseminated, there was swift backlash from both liberals and conservatives.
While liberals pointed to the similarities between this release and a similar one by President Joe Biden in 2023, MAGA supporters expressed frustration over the ongoing redactions, claiming that the Trump administration’s promise of full transparency had not been fulfilled.
Despite promises of unredacted documents, many still contained blacked-out sections, and others were poorly scanned or unreadable.
National security experts had scrambled in the days leading up to the release to ensure that sensitive information, particularly concerning living individuals, was protected.
President Trump’s team was under immense pressure to manage this massive declassification effort, with the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, dismissing claims that anyone was unprepared for the drop.
Experts Examine the Documents
Historians and researchers have cautioned that, while the release is significant, the new batch of documents is unlikely to overturn existing narratives about the assassination.
Larry J. Sabato, a political expert, stated that although his team had begun reviewing the material, it would take a significant amount of time to fully analyze its contents.
He noted that much of the information could be more circumstantial and might not provide any groundbreaking revelations.
Jefferson Morley, a well-known researcher on the Kennedy assassination, echoed similar sentiments, pointing out that the release included only a portion of the documents, and that a significant number remained redacted or incomplete.
Some researchers, like Morley, expressed optimism that these records could serve as a foundation for future revelations, but they acknowledged that the documents were difficult to interpret without further context.
A Broader Look at the Kennedy Family Assassinations
The declassified documents also included information related to the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., offering another layer of intrigue.
However, experts like Jonathan Eig, author of a recent biography of Dr. King, cautioned that these files are unlikely to bring forth any new insights into the well-established narratives of these deaths.
The Road Ahead
The release of these files is just the beginning of a long journey to uncover the full truth about one of the most significant events in American history.
While some are hopeful that these newly revealed documents will lead to groundbreaking discoveries, others remain skeptical, noting that much of the information has already been in the public domain for years.
For now, the investigation continues, and experts will be carefully sifting through the records in the hope of uncovering new details about the assassination of President Kennedy and the mysteries that still surround it.