In a historic move, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order to declassify FBI files related to the assassinations of three prominent figures from the 1960s: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., President John F. Kennedy, and former U.S. Senator and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.
“That’s a big one, huh?” Trump remarked after signing the order, acknowledging the decades-long public demand for transparency on these high-profile cases. He added, “Everything will be revealed.”
The King family, however, disclosed that they were only informed about the decision on the day it was announced. In a joint statement, Martin Luther King III and Bernice King, the last surviving children of the civil rights leader, expressed their thoughts:
“Today, our family has learned that President Trump has ordered the declassification of the remaining records pertaining to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy, and our father, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. For us, the assassination of our father is a deeply personal family loss that we have endured over the last 56 years. We hope to be provided the opportunity to review the files as a family prior to their public release.”
The order establishes a phased timeline for the release of the records. Federal agencies, including the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Justice, must propose plans within 45 days for the release of files related to Dr. King and Robert F. Kennedy. Records concerning President John F. Kennedy, however, are to follow a shorter timeline of 15 days.
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While Congress has not specifically required the declassification of records tied to Dr. King and Robert Kennedy, the executive order cited a broader push for transparency. “It is in the national interest to finally release all records related to these assassinations without delay,” the order reads.
The FBI files on Dr. King have long been the subject of intense scrutiny, especially given the agency’s controversial COINTELPRO program, which surveilled King and other civil rights leaders. The program’s legacy has fueled decades of speculation about potential government involvement in King’s assassination, despite a 1979 congressional investigation concluding that no evidence implicated federal, state, or local agencies in the killing.
Dr. King, a pivotal figure in the civil rights movement, was fatally shot in 1968 while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. His death occurred just years after President Kennedy, a civil rights ally, was assassinated.
The order’s directive is expected to shed new light on these historical events and potentially address lingering questions about the government’s role during a turbulent chapter in American history. The King family’s call for privacy and respect underscores the deeply personal nature of this moment as the nation awaits the disclosure of long-hidden details.
