DALLAS (AP) — Previously classified documents related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy were released on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, following an order by President Donald Trump shortly after he took office. The documents were posted on the website of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
The vast majority of the National Archives’ collection includes over 6 million pages of records, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings, and artifacts related to the assassination that have previously been released. Trump told reporters on Monday, March 17, that his administration would be releasing 80,000 files, though it remains unclear how many of those are among the millions of pages of records that have already been made public. "We have a tremendous amount of paper. You’ve got a lot of reading," Trump stated while visiting the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington.
Researchers have estimated that around 3,000 records had not been released, either in whole or in part. And last month, February 2025, the FBI announced that it had discovered approximately 2,400 new records related to the assassination. Despite many experts suggesting that the public should not expect any earth-shattering revelations from the newly released documents, there remains intense interest in the details surrounding the assassination and the events that followed.
Trump’s January order directed the national intelligence director and attorney general to develop a plan for the release of these documents. President Kennedy was killed on November 22, 1963, during a visit to Dallas. As his motorcade was finishing its parade route downtown, shots rang out from the Texas School Book Depository building. Police arrested 24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald, who had shot President Kennedy from a sniper’s perch on the sixth floor. Two days later, nightclub owner Jack Ruby fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer.
A year after the assassination, the Warren Commission, established by President Lyndon B. Johnson to investigate the circumstances of Kennedy's death, concluded that Oswald acted alone and found no evidence of conspiracy. However, this conclusion did not quell the numerous conspiracy theories that sparked public speculation over the decades.
In the early 1990s, the federal government mandated that all assassination-related documents be housed in a single collection in the National Archives and Records Administration. The collection was required to be opened by 2017, barring any exemptions designated by the president. While Trump had pledged to allow the release of all remaining records, he ended up withholding some, citing potential harm to national security. During President Joe Biden’s administration, files continued to be released, but some documents have yet to be revealed.
The recent release may provide new insights or reinforce existing conclusions about the assassination, but many historians and researchers caution against reading too much into it. As the documents emerge, experts highlight the importance of context in understanding the assassination and the myriad narratives that have developed surrounding it.
This newest batch of documents reflects both the ongoing interest in Kennedy’s legacy and an evolving dialogue about transparency in government archives. With every new release, Americans are invited to re-examine the moment that forever changed the nation.
As the public continues to unravel the intricate details of one of America’s most infamous historical events, attention will undoubtedly remain fixed on what more the National Archives might unveil in the future. The release by Trump symbolizes a step toward fulfilling the mandate set over three decades ago, promoting a discussion on historical accountability and the critical examination of the nation’s past.
