The JFK Files: A Chaotic Release

The National Archive has commenced uploading the remaining government files related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy onto the internet. These files comprise thousands of pages of government documents, some of which have become indecipherable due to age, that historians and conspiracists have been eager to access for decades. However, the release has been characterized by chaos and disorganization, typical of the Trump administration’s approach. The files are not organized, summarized, or labeled in a coherent manner, simply presented as raw PDFs with lengthy numeric strings on a website.

Upon examination, it has been discovered that the files contain sensitive personal information of living individuals.According to Mark Zaid, an attorney specializing in National Security issues, "The Trump Administration has doxed numerous people who served on the staff of the House Select Committee on Assassinations in 1977-79 by releasing their Social Security numbers in full." Zaid noted that some of these individuals are still alive and that this release was unnecessary and contributed nothing to the understanding of the events of November 22, 1963.

The Background

The release of these documents is a result of an executive order signed by Trump after his inauguration. He had previously declassified JFK-related documents in 2017 and promised to declassify the remaining documents after allowing U.S. security services to review them. Approximately 99% of JFK documents were already public due to a 1992 effort to declassify materials. Some of the documents being uploaded to the National Archives website are not new, but rather different versions of existing documents with redactions removed or altered.

The Upload Process

There were approximately 3,500 known documents left unsealed for various reasons in 2024, and the FBI discovered an additional 2,400 documents towards the end of the Biden administration. The public can access hard copies of these documents at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland, or wait for the uploading process to be completed. As of now, the Archives has uploaded around 60,000 pages across over 2,000 PDF files, with Trump claiming that a total of 80,000 pages will be released. The Archives is working to digitize the remaining documents, a process that will likely take time.

The Significance

Going through these files will require a substantial amount of time, likely years. Historians and news outlets are currently pouring over the documents, posting their findings in real-time. While some discoveries have been made, such as a memo detailing the KGB’s alleged thoughts on Oswald, real breakthroughs will take time and expertise to process. For those interested in the JFK assassination, it is likely that they have already formed their opinions about the event. Despite decades of conspiracy theories, the evidence suggests that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in shooting the President. There will be no single "smoking gun" document that refutes this, and the release of these files will not provide closure.

A Psychic Wound

The assassination of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963, left a deep wound in the American psyche that will never fully heal. The release of these documents, no matter how chaotic or disorganized, will not provide satisfaction or closure. The event remains a painful and traumatic chapter in American history, and the passing of time will not diminish its impact.