Web Desk
WASHINGTON — House Republicans claim their investigation into the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy is about uncovering the truth.
However, their concerns about a “deep state” cover-up seem more tied to modern-day distrust of the government than historical events.
During a recent hearing on newly released documents about the shooting, Representatives Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) and Brandon Gill (R-TX) connected lingering doubts about Kennedy’s death to today’s widespread skepticism toward federal institutions.
Arizona Representative Eli Crane questioned whether history is repeating itself, pointing to what he called a lack of transparency around recent assassination attempts on former President Trump.
Meanwhile, South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace accused the government of hiding critical information, from the origins of COVID-19 to President Biden’s health.
“The deep state wasn’t just active during JFK’s assassination—it’s still here today,” Mace declared.
The newly formed House Oversight Committee Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets held its first hearing this week, featuring experts on the Kennedy assassination and filmmaker Oliver Stone.
While the panel’s stated goal is to uncover long-buried truths, Republicans are also using it to criticize the federal government—just as Trump pushes to reduce its size.
“The American people deserve answers about what their government is hiding,” said Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY).
“This secrecy breeds distrust, and we’re putting an end to it.”
Beyond the JFK case, the task force will examine other historical events, including the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, the origins of COVID-19, the 9/11 attacks, and UFO sightings.
Yet, Kennedy’s assassination remains the focal point of conspiracy theories.
A 2023 Gallup poll found that only 29% of Americans believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, while 65% suspect a broader conspiracy.
Trump, a longtime skeptic of government secrecy, ordered the declassification of remaining JFK files earlier this year.
The National Archives has since released about 77,000 pages of records, though historians say nothing so far contradicts the official narrative.
Still, Republicans on the task force insist the documents reveal shocking details.
Luna recently claimed to have uncovered a never-before-seen video placing Oswald near Kennedy’s limousine after the shooting—a claim quickly debunked by experts who noted the footage has been publicly available for years.
Critics argue the task force is less about historical truth and more about fueling political narratives.
“This feels like another way to attack the so-called deep state,” said author Gerald Posner.
The panel includes several Republicans who have promoted conspiracy theories, including false claims about the 2020 election.
During the hearing, Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) even confused Oliver Stone with Roger Stone, a Trump ally who has pushed his own JFK conspiracy theories.
After the hearing, Luna suggested parallels between her task force’s work and Trump’s efforts to limit federal power.
“If agencies operate outside government oversight, they become rogue entities,” she said.
