Revisited: Did the assassination of JFK kickstart the conspiracy theory movement?

This episode originally ran on Friday, November 24th, 2023.

President John F Kennedy was shot dead 61 years ago, as he travelled in the back of a car through the streets of Dallas, Texas. From the moment the news broke, people had their theories about what happened.

So why did the assassination of JFK spawn dozens of conspiracy theories that have persisted for decades? Is there a reason why Americans are quick to believe their government is covering something up? And despite multiple examples of when conspiracies turn dangerous, are politicians today, including Kennedy’s own nephew, using conspiracy theories for political gain?

Archive: CBS, USA Today, CNN

• Read David Smith’s interview with Clint Hill
• Clint Hill’s book Five Days in November, and Kathryn Olmsted’s book Real Enemies
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Photograph: Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images