Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pushing for the release of all records on the assassination of his uncle, former President John. F Kennedy, on the 60th anniversary of the shooting in Dallas.
President Kennedy was shot and killed by Lee Harvey Oswald while riding in a presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas — a day that has catalyzed extensive conspiracy theories in the decades since. RFK Jr. posted a petition on his campaign website Wednesday calling for the release of all records regarding his uncle’s death while noting the lack of transparency from federal agencies on the assassination.
“The 1992 Kennedy Records Assassination Act mandated the release of all records related to the JFK assassination by 2017. Trump refused to do it. Biden refused to do it. What is so embarrassing that they’re afraid to show the American public 60 years later?” the petition demands.
“Trust in government is at an all-time low. Releasing the full, unredacted historical records will help to restore that trust. In the spirit of transparency, in the spirit of democracy, we, the undersigned, call upon President Biden to obey the 1992 act and release the Kennedy assassination documents to the public.”
Former President Trump promised to release all the records into Kennedy’s death under his presidency but ended up withholding some documents due to unspecified national security reasons.
President Joe Biden released more than 13,000 documents pertaining to the Kennedy killing last year after a previous delay from his administration that they blamed on the COVID-19 pandemic. The records revealed some new information, including that Oswald talked to the Soviet Embassy in Mexico City weeks before the assassination.
The National Archives said 99% of the documents on Kennedy’s death have been released.
RFK Jr. released a separate statement Wednesday on the 60th anniversary of his uncle’s death, conveying his fear the country has abandoned Kennedy’s vision.
“John F. Kennedy’s assassination left an indelible scar upon the American psyche. Everyone who was alive at the time can remember where they were on that day,” RFK Jr. said.
“Of all the legacies that my uncle left for our country, there is one that has not yet been fulfilled. During his term in office, he upheld a vision of America as a nation of peace, a vision that was abandoned after his death. For the next 60 years, we maintained a military empire, squandering trillions of dollars as our economy hollowed out and our health and infrastructure decayed.”
RFK Jr. declared his intention to restore his uncle’s vision.
“My promise to the American people is that I will put us back on the road to peace that JFK led us toward when, shortly before his death, he issued a national security order to withdraw American advisers from Vietnam,” he said. “We will instead take a path back toward peace and prosperity for our country.”
