President-elect Donald Trump makes a bold announcement at his victory rally in Washington, DC, promising unprecedented transparency in government records.
According to the New York Post, Trump has pledged to release previously classified government documents related to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr. as part of his administration's transparency initiative.
The announcement came during Trump's packed rally at the Capital One Arena, where he addressed a crowd of 20,000 supporters. The 78-year-old incoming president emphasized his commitment to reversing what he sees as excessive government secrecy, drawing enthusiastic responses from attendees.
During his first term, Trump encountered significant opposition from national security officials, including former CIA director Mike Pompeo, regarding the release of JFK assassination records. Despite the 1992 Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act setting a 2017 deadline for disclosure, both the Trump and Biden administrations opted for partial releases.
The CIA has already made public more than 95% of their records concerning President Kennedy's assassination on November 22, 1963. Official investigations concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the shooting, though numerous questions remain unanswered.
Trump's renewed commitment to full disclosure comes with expanded scope, now including files related to both RFK and MLK assassinations. This marks a significant departure from his previous approach to classified information.
Trump's announcement strategically coincided with Martin Luther King Jr. Day and his own inauguration. The timing adds symbolic weight to his transparency pledge, particularly regarding the civil rights leader's assassination records, which weren't scheduled for release until 2027.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., recently appointed as Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services, has been a vocal advocate for releasing these files. The appointment of RFK Jr., nephew of the 35th president, suggests a potential influence on Trump's decision to pursue full disclosure.
The new administration's stance represents a marked shift from traditional government approaches to classified information. Trump has indicated his preference for staffing his team with outsiders rather than establishment figures.
Trump's promised executive action on these disclosures is expected within days of taking office. The initiative forms part of a broader agenda that includes reforms in border security, energy policy, and government regulations.
The disclosure of these historical documents could potentially address long-standing questions about three of the most significant assassinations in American history. MLK's files, in particular, may reveal previously unknown details about federal surveillance of the civil rights movement.
Trump communicated his vision of government transparency during the rally, stating:
As the first step toward restoring transparency and accountability to government, we will also reverse the over-classification of government documents. And in the coming days, we are going to make public remaining records relating to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert Kennedy, as well as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
President-elect Donald Trump's commitment to releasing assassination files marks a significant shift in government transparency policy. The initiative encompasses three pivotal moments in American history: the deaths of JFK in Dallas (1963), MLK in Memphis (1968), and RFK in Los Angeles (1968). As Trump prepares to take office, his administration's approach to declassification could potentially reshape public understanding of these watershed events in American history.
