Politics Prof. Larry Sabato revealed a controversial study Tuesday about the life of President John F. Kennedy, with new insights into his 1963 assassination. Sabato held a press conference at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. to present his findings and to promote his new book, “The Kennedy Half Century.”
Though Sabato’s study did not advance any new theories about Kennedy’s assassination, it did critically examine the two official government reports on the assassination, finding flaws with both.
The first report, issued by the Warren Commission, concluded that the shooter was a lone gunman named Lee Harvey Oswald who shot Kennedy from a schoolbook depository along the parade route. Sabato’s study determined that the report “did not conclusively disprove the possibility of a second gunman or other kinds of conspiracy, including collusion with Oswald — and … was seriously defective in fundamental ways.”
The second report, produced by a House commission in the late 1970s, indicated the possibility of a second gunman using audio that allegedly contained the sound of more gunshots than Oswald fired. Sabato’s study concluded that the “audio recording does not contain the sound of gunshots, and therefore cannot be used as evidence of a conspiracy.”
This investigation of the events surrounding Kennedy’s assassination comprises only a third of Sabato’s book; the other two sections deal with Kennedy’s actual political life and presidency and how his legacy affected his nine successors.
“In many ways, President Kennedy’s life being cut tragically short by an assassin’s bullet only amplified his impact on American politics,” Sabato said in an email. “Both Republican and Democratic successors have used the Kennedy image to promote their own agendas, and a poll we conducted as part of the book project shows that Kennedy remains the most popular and respected of the presidents elected since 1950.”
The study comes as part of the Center for Politics’ “Kennedy Legacy Project,” designed to contribute to the public’s understanding of JFK and his impact on American life. A PBS documentary is also set to be released in conjunction with the project.
Sabato’s online course on Kennedy’s life and legacy begins Oct. 21 and will be available for free through Coursera and iTunes U.
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