Donald Trump Orders Declassification of JFK, RFK, and Martin Luther King Assassination Files
Aim to bring transparency over historical assassinations: US Presidential Decree seeks to disclose all related archives
In a move long awaited by many, former U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the declassification of archives related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Trump, upon signing the order in the Oval Office, stated that 'everything will be revealed.' Robert Kennedy Jr., son of Robert F. Kennedy, was present at the signing, slated to become the Secretary of Health.
Previously, Robert Kennedy Jr. has been vocal about his belief in the involvement of the CIA, the U.S. intelligence agency, in the assassination of his uncle, John F. Kennedy, and has indicated there is substantial evidence suggesting the agency's involvement in his father's murder.
The decree, emphasizing the right of the American public and the victims' families to transparency, orders the immediate release of all remaining classified documents related to these historical events.
Just prior to this decision, President Trump, after his election, reiterated a campaign promise to make the remaining 'top secret' files concerning the Kennedy assassination available to the public.
The official investigation on President Kennedy's assassination in 1963 concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.
Oswald, a former marine, was known to have lived in the Soviet Union.
The incident has been the subject of intense speculation and numerous conspiracy theories.
In December 2022, the National Archives released over 13,000 documents pertaining to the Kennedy assassination.
However, the Biden administration withheld the release of additional documents citing national security concerns.
The National Archives report that currently, 99% of the approximately five million pages of the assassination files are available to the public.
Robert F. Kennedy, who served as the Attorney General during his brother's presidency, was assassinated on June 5, 1968, in Los Angeles.
At the time of his assassination, Kennedy was a leading candidate in the Democratic primaries for the presidential election.
He became a victim of gunman Sirhan Sirhan at the Ambassador Hotel.
Sirhan, a Palestinian immigrant, was convicted and is serving a life sentence.
Martin Luther King Jr., known for his pivotal role in the American civil rights movement, was assassinated on April 4, 1968, by James Earl Ray, a segregationist, at a motel balcony in Memphis, Tennessee, where King supported local sanitation workers on strike.
King's family has historically questioned Ray's conviction, though Ray died in prison in 1998.
The move to declassify these archives is a continuation of complex and historically significant events that have had a profound impact on American society and politics.
Previously, Robert Kennedy Jr. has been vocal about his belief in the involvement of the CIA, the U.S. intelligence agency, in the assassination of his uncle, John F. Kennedy, and has indicated there is substantial evidence suggesting the agency's involvement in his father's murder.
The decree, emphasizing the right of the American public and the victims' families to transparency, orders the immediate release of all remaining classified documents related to these historical events.
Just prior to this decision, President Trump, after his election, reiterated a campaign promise to make the remaining 'top secret' files concerning the Kennedy assassination available to the public.
The official investigation on President Kennedy's assassination in 1963 concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.
Oswald, a former marine, was known to have lived in the Soviet Union.
The incident has been the subject of intense speculation and numerous conspiracy theories.
In December 2022, the National Archives released over 13,000 documents pertaining to the Kennedy assassination.
However, the Biden administration withheld the release of additional documents citing national security concerns.
The National Archives report that currently, 99% of the approximately five million pages of the assassination files are available to the public.
Robert F. Kennedy, who served as the Attorney General during his brother's presidency, was assassinated on June 5, 1968, in Los Angeles.
At the time of his assassination, Kennedy was a leading candidate in the Democratic primaries for the presidential election.
He became a victim of gunman Sirhan Sirhan at the Ambassador Hotel.
Sirhan, a Palestinian immigrant, was convicted and is serving a life sentence.
Martin Luther King Jr., known for his pivotal role in the American civil rights movement, was assassinated on April 4, 1968, by James Earl Ray, a segregationist, at a motel balcony in Memphis, Tennessee, where King supported local sanitation workers on strike.
King's family has historically questioned Ray's conviction, though Ray died in prison in 1998.
The move to declassify these archives is a continuation of complex and historically significant events that have had a profound impact on American society and politics.
