As of Wednesday, approximately 2,200 files consisting of over 63,000 pages related to the assassination have been published. Just a day after US President Donald Trump’s statement on the issue, these files on the assassination of John F. Kennedy (JFK) on November 22, 1963 in Dallas have been released. The entire secrecy surrounding the documents on the US National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) website will be lifted in the near future. The records may shed light on various details, including JFK’s distrust of the intelligence agency CIA and the surveillance of the assassin Lee Harvey Oswald in Mexico City.

Earlier this week, Trump had informed reporters at the Kennedy Center that “all Kennedy files” would be released, stating, “We have a tremendous amount of files. There is a lot to read. We’re not going to censor anything.” According to ABC News, Trump’s statement caused “chaos” at the Department of Justice. Department attorneys worked through the night from Monday to Tuesday, scanning hundreds of pages of documents.

Investigating the history of the Kennedy assassination in the book “A Cruel and Shocking Act,” author Philip Shenon expressed that he did not see anything that would change the understanding of the assassination after scanning the first 1,100 documents that were released. He noted that many pages were illegible, filled with many unknown names and pseudonyms. Shenon believes that it may be challenging for a non-expert to compare the new uncensored documents with the partly or fully censored previous ones.

Trump’s interest in Kennedy assassination files has been apparent since his early presidency. During Trump’s first presidential campaign, he proposed a conspiracy theory on Fox News regarding Senator Ted Cruz’s father meeting Oswald before the assassination. Additionally, JFK’s nephew Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is among Trump’s close allies. Acting as the current US Health Secretary, Kennedy Jr. has distanced himself from much of his family due to his anti-vaccine activism.

Historian Jefferson Morley, who works on the Kennedy assassination, suggests that the newly released material contradicts much of the initial narrative from the 1960s. While the 1964 decision by the Warren Commission led by Judge Earl Warren claimed that Oswald, a former Marine and Marxist, acted alone, Morley believes that the newly released records over the years suggest a different story. He stressed the need for a better explanation of what transpired, particularly due to accounts of doctors attempting to save Kennedy’s life stating that he was shot from two different directions.

Both Morley and Shenon express their intent to focus on the Mexico City mystery by further analyzing the released and upcoming documents. Records have already revealed that Oswald visited the capital of Mexico shortly before the assassination. The US intelligence suggested that the suspect met with Cuban and Russian spies in the city and even discussed openly with Cuban embassy staff about killing Kennedy. Shenon stated that the new uncensored documents might provide additional contacts between Oswald and those who wanted Kennedy dead in Mexico.

On November 22, 1963, as the 35th US President JFK and his wife Jacqueline Kennedy landed in Dallas for their re-election campaign, they were greeted by an enthusiastic crowd and clear skies. However, while concluding their city center tour, gunshots were heard from the nearby Texas School Book Depository, fatally injuring the president. Shortly after, the police arrested 24-year-old Oswald, who was positioned on the sixth floor of the depository building’s window. Two days later, nightclub owner Jack Ruby shot and killed Oswald in front of everyone while he was being transferred to the prison.