Dallas Tourists, Experts React To Release Of JFK Assassination Docs
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Thursday marks the deadline, written into law 25 years ago, for the release of government records related to President John F. Kennedy's assassination.
President Donald Trump indicated in a tweet Saturday that he plans to allow it.
Tourists at Dealey Plaza told CBS 11 they support the release.
"Better late than never," said Ty Olson
"I can't understand why it was classified in the first place," said Dan Keel.
The decades long wait has piqued curiosity about what's in the final batch of classified files.
"Okay, this must be the really good stuff. That's what everyone wants to believe. That this has to be – they saved the best for last," said Farris Rookstool III, a former FBI analyst and JFK expert.
He warns the reality may be underwhelming.
"We're not gonna find any, like, roadmap of how the assassination was done. We're not gonna find evidence of a conspiracy," he said.
The release would still be significant.
While five million records on the assassination have already been made public. The final collection set to be released by the National Archives is believed to include 3,000 never before seen files, as well as 30,000 that were previously redacted.
"What this demonstrates is full transparency. In the sense that this should restore faith. And that's what the spirit of the law was," said Rookstool.
The law did give the president the authority to prevent the release, but Saturday morning President Trump tweeted his support.
"Subject to the receipt of further information, I will be allowing, as President, the long blocked and classified JFK FILES to be opened," wrote the president
Rookstool noted the tweet's opening caveat leaves the door open for the President to change his mind.
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, located where Lee Harvey Oswald opened fire, released a statement Friday saying it had "no specific insight into these particular documents" but that is hopes the "records release could lead to a broader understanding of the assassination and the time period."