• President Trump signed an executive order on January 23, 2025, directing the declassification of all federal records related to the assassinations of JFK, RFK and MLK, aiming to bring transparency to these controversial events.
• The move is part of a long-standing effort to reveal the truth, following partial releases in previous administrations, but now extends beyond the JFK assassination to include RFK and MLK.
• Trump’s order mandates a 15-day plan for full disclosure of JFK-related records and a 45-day plan for RFK and MLK documents, acknowledging the complexity and scattered nature of the records.
• The declassification process aims to address conspiracy theories and lingering questions surrounding the assassinations, with experts divided on potential revelations from the newly released documents.
• The executive order is seen as a significant step toward restoring trust in government institutions and uncovering the truth, with implications for the families of the victims and the broader American public.

In a bold and unprecedented move, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday, January 23, 2025, directing the declassification of all federal records related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The announcement, made in the Oval Office, marks a significant step toward fulfilling a long-standing promise to bring transparency to some of the most controversial and tragic events in American history.

“Everything will be revealed,” Trump declared as he signed the order, flanked by aides and advisors. “Their families and the American people deserve transparency and truth.” The president’s decision has reignited public interest in the decades-old mysteries surrounding these assassinations, which have fueled countless conspiracy theories and debates.

A long-awaited promise fulfilled

Trump’s move is not his first attempt to declassify files related to the JFK assassination. During his first term in 2017, he released 2,800 documents but left some redacted, citing national security concerns raised by the CIA and FBI. In 2018, he authorized the disclosure of an additional 19,000 documents, and in 2022, President Joe Biden released another batch. However, many records remained partially or fully redacted, leaving unanswered questions about what truly happened.

The 1992 John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act mandated the release of all JFK-related documents by 2017 unless the president authorized their continued withholding. Trump’s latest order goes beyond this law, extending to the assassinations of RFK and MLK, which were not covered by the 1992 legislation. “Although no Act of Congress directs the release of information pertaining to the assassinations of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I have determined that the release of all records in the Federal Government’s possession pertaining to each of those assassinations is also in the public interest,” the order states.

The road to transparency

The declassification process will not be immediate. The executive order gives the director of national intelligence and the attorney general 15 days to present a plan for the “full and complete” release of JFK-related records and 45 days for RFK and MLK documents. This timeline reflects the complexity of the task, as many records are scattered across multiple agencies, including the CIA, FBI and National Archives.

Jefferson Morley, editor of the JFK Facts newsletter and a former Washington Post reporter, noted that more than 3,600 documents related to JFK’s assassination remain redacted. “Officials must determine whether records outside the National Archives collection — including those held by the Kennedy family and agencies such as the CIA and FBI — fall under Trump’s executive order,” Morley said. “Then, they will need to locate and review them.”

The process is further complicated by the fact that records related to RFK and MLK are not as consolidated as those for JFK. This means additional time and resources will be required to ensure their full disclosure.

Why this matters: A nation’s quest for truth

The assassinations of JFK, RFK and MLK were defining moments in American history, each leaving an indelible mark on the nation’s psyche. JFK’s death in Dallas on November 22, 1963, shattered the optimism of the early 1960s and sparked decades of speculation about whether Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone or as part of a larger conspiracy. RFK’s assassination on June 5, 1968, just moments after he won the California Democratic presidential primary, further deepened the nation’s sense of loss and division. MLK’s murder on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, where he was supporting a sanitation workers’ strike, dealt a devastating blow to the civil rights movement.

For years, conspiracy theories have swirled around these events, with some suggesting involvement by foreign powers, organized crime, or even U.S. intelligence agencies. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services and the nephew of JFK, has been a vocal proponent of the theory that the CIA played a role in his uncle’s assassination. “My father’s first instinct was that the agency killed his brother,” RFK Jr. said in a Fox News interview.

While experts and historians remain divided on what the newly declassified documents might reveal, the release is seen as a critical step toward addressing lingering questions. “What did happen? It’s very hard to say, and I don’t have a theory,” Morley said. “But that’s why we need to see the rest of the records.”

A new chapter in American history

Trump’s executive order represents more than just a policy decision; it is a symbolic gesture aimed at restoring trust in government institutions. By prioritizing transparency, the president is signaling a commitment to uncovering the truth, no matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient it may be.

As the nation awaits the release of these long-hidden documents, one thing is clear: the quest for truth is far from over. “Lot of people are waiting for this for a long — for years and decades,” Trump said as he signed the order. For the families of JFK, RFK and MLK, as well as for the American people, the promise of transparency offers hope that the full story of these tragic events will finally come to light.

In the words of the president, “That’s a big one, huh?” Indeed, it is. And its impact will be felt for generations to come.

Sources include:

The NationalPulse.com

ABCNews.com

WashingtonPost.com