The U.S. government has begun the long-awaited release of previously withheld documents related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy—an event that, even after six decades, continues to fuel speculation and conspiracy theories.

This disclosure follows a directive issued in January by former President Donald Trump, mandating that all unredacted files tied to the case be made public. While historians are poring over the newly available records, they anticipate few earth-shattering discoveries. Trump has estimated that approximately 80,000 pages of documents are now being unveiled.

Over the years, U.S. authorities have declassified hundreds of thousands of JFK-related files, though some were withheld due to national security concerns. Public skepticism remains high, with many Americans doubting that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the 1963 assassination in Dallas, Texas.

It remains uncertain how much of the newly released material is genuinely fresh information. Experts note that many of these files had already been made public in redacted form. Trump himself teased the release, telling reporters, "You've got a lot of reading," while suggesting there would be no further redactions. However, media outlets have reported that some of the documents still contain blacked-out sections, while others suffer from poor legibility due to fading or low-quality scans.

The official government investigation concluded that Kennedy was shot by Oswald, a former Marine and self-proclaimed Marxist who once defected to the Soviet Union before returning to the U.S. Despite this, public opinion polls have consistently shown widespread doubt that Oswald was the sole perpetrator.

For years, lingering questions have fueled theories about potential involvement from intelligence agencies, organized crime, or other shadowy figures. In 1992, Congress passed legislation requiring the full disclosure of JFK-related documents within 25 years.

While both Trump and President Joe Biden previously released substantial batches of these records, thousands had remained classified or partially redacted. Trump's executive order in January also called for the release of files connected to the assassinations of presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., both of whom were murdered in 1968.

During his presidential campaign, Trump pledged to disclose the remaining JFK files—a promise made shortly after securing the endorsement of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nephew of the late president and son of RFK. Kennedy Jr. has since gone on to serve as Trump's health secretary.