President Donald Trump has ordered the declassification and release of secret files related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. On Thursday (January 23), President Trump announced the decision in the Oval Office, marking a significant move to address decades of speculation and conspiracy theories surrounding these historical events.
President Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963 in Dallas, with Lee Harvey Oswald identified as the primary suspect. Oswald was killed two days later by Jack Ruby, fueling ongoing debates about possible conspiracies. Senator Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan in June 1968, shortly after winning the California Democratic presidential primary. Martin Luther King Jr. was fatally shot in April 1968 by James Earl Ray amid federal efforts to undermine his advocacy against racial discrimination.
The executive order requires the attorney general and the national intelligence director to present a plan for releasing the JFK assassination records by February 7.
Plans for the release of records regarding the assassinations of King and RFK must be submitted by March 9. President Trump emphasized that withholding these documents is "not consistent with the public interest" and that their release is long overdue.
"Their families and the American people deserve transparency and truth. It is in the national interest to finally release all records related to these assassinations without delay," Trump explained.
