United States President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to declassify and release all remaining files related to the assassinations of former US President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy, and civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. These events have been the subject of widespread public speculation and conspiracy theories for decades.
Key Details of the Executive Order
On Thursday, Trump signed the order, which aims to make available the last remaining records connected to these high-profile assassinations. He emphasized the significance of the moment, stating, “This is a big one. A lot of people have been waiting for this for years, for decades. And everything will be revealed.”
The order mandates that the Director of National Intelligence present a plan within 15 days for the complete release of files related to JFK’s assassination. A similar plan for releasing documents about the deaths of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. is due within 45 days.
JFK’s Assassination and Public Skepticism
The assassination of JFK, which occurred on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, remains a pivotal moment in US history. Despite the official explanation, many Americans continue to doubt the official narrative. A 2023 Gallup poll revealed that 65 percent of Americans do not believe the Warren Commission’s conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. In the same poll, 20 percent of respondents said they believed Oswald conspired with the US government, while 16 percent suspected CIA involvement.
RFK Jr.’s Claims of CIA Involvement
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the son of Robert F. Kennedy, has publicly stated that he believes the CIA played a role in both his father’s and uncle’s deaths. In a 2023 interview, RFK Jr. cited what he called overwhelming circumstantial evidence of CIA involvement in both assassinations. Trump’s declassification order may shed more light on these claims.
After signing the executive order, Trump handed the pen he used to an aide, saying, “Give that to RFK Jr.”
Criticism of Trump’s Order
Some critics, including Jack Schlossberg, JFK’s grandson, have voiced concerns about the timing and motives behind the declassification. Schlossberg argued that using JFK’s assassination as a political tool is inappropriate, especially since the former president is not around to respond.
Schlossberg expressed his displeasure in a post on X, stating, “Declassification is using JFK as a political prop, when he’s not here to punch back. There’s nothing heroic about it.”
Legal Background of the Declassification
In 1992, US Congress passed a law requiring the release of any outstanding files related to JFK’s assassination within 25 years, unless the president determined that releasing the documents would harm national security. Trump initially released over 2,800 documents in 2017, but withheld thousands more due to pressure from the CIA and FBI.
The Biden administration later ordered the release of approximately 17,000 additional documents, leaving fewer than 4,700 files still withheld. According to The National Archives, more than 99 percent of the documents related to JFK’s assassination have been made public.
The Assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and RFK
Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. His death marked a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement. Less than two months later, Robert F. Kennedy was shot and killed on June 5, 1968, in Los Angeles, shortly after winning California’s Democratic presidential primary.
