President Donald Trump issued an executive order to open sealed documents regarding the assassinations of key figures in American history.
Fox News reported that files on John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr. will be declassified through this new directive.
This decision follows Trump’s promises during his 2024 campaign, where he vowed to increase transparency regarding long-standing national mysteries. On Thursday, Trump fulfilled this promise at the White House, stating, "Everything will be revealed."
Trump previously aimed to release all JFK files during his first presidency but postponed some after facing strong opposition from the CIA and FBI, who cited national security risks.
In his executive order, Trump stated, "I have now determined that the continued redaction and withholding of information from records of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy is not consistent with the public interest and the release of these records is long overdue."
In addition to JFK’s documents, the order also includes declassifying files related to the murders of RFK and MLK. "And although no Act of Congress directs the release of information on 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 about each of those assassinations is also in the public interest," the order mentioned.
U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, supported the decision, emphasizing the need for this action. She noted that the concealment of such information by government bureaucrats was unjust and that the American public deserves full access to the truth.
U.S. Rep. Luna commented on the implications of these disclosures, advocating for continuous efforts toward governmental transparency.
Our government, led by corrupt bureaucrats, has hidden this information from the American people for far too long. Americans deserve to know the truth, whether it makes the government look good or not," she explained. "As part of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I want to continue to deliver transparency to Americans. The truth belongs to the people, and we won’t rest until they have it."
JFK, assassinated on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, has frequently been the subject of speculation and conspiracy theories, much like his brother RFK and civil rights leader MLK, who were assassinated within two months of each other in 1968. The assassinations shook the United States and spawned decades of debates and theories about their causes and the potential involvement of various national entities.
Trump’s declassification not only fulfills a symbolic commitment to his campaign promises but also potentially restores public trust in the federal government by enhancing transparency regarding pivotal historical events. Furthermore, while some files on MLK were scheduled for release in 2027, Trump expedited this process with his order, allowing immediate public access.
Additionally, Trump’s decision to release these files could revitalize public and scholarly interest in these pivotal moments in American history, encouraging new discussions and possibly providing new insights into the events that shaped the nation’s mid-20th-century trajectory.
By making these historical documents available, Trump demonstrates his commitment to governmental transparency and gives the public and researchers access to full narratives that have been curtailed for decades. This act, in turn, emphasizes the ongoing importance of transparency in maintaining a democratic society informed by its historical past.
Ultimately, these disclosures mark a significant moment in U.S. history, potentially altering the public's understanding of these famous cases. As the documents come to light, historians, researchers, and the public alike anticipate new information that could offer closure or provoke further questions about these complex and significant events.
