By William Bekoe
In a major step toward transparency, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order mandating the release of thousands of classified government documents related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The order also extends to records concerning the assassinations of Senator Robert F. Kennedy in 1968 and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Speaking to reporters, Trump stated, “Everything will be revealed,” signaling his commitment to fulfilling a campaign promise to declassify the remaining records tied to these historical events. While Trump had made a similar pledge during his first term, he ultimately deferred to requests from intelligence agencies like the CIA and FBI to withhold some documents due to national security concerns.
This latest order, issued during Trump’s second term, directs the director of national intelligence and the attorney general to develop a plan to release the remaining JFK files within 15 days and the RFK and MLK records within 45 days. However, the exact timeline for the public release remains unclear.
The president handed the pen used to sign the order to an aide, instructing it to be given to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom Trump has nominated as health secretary. Kennedy Jr., a nephew of President Kennedy and son of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, has been vocal about his doubts regarding the official accounts of both assassinations.
A History of Conspiracy Theories and Public Interest
The assassination of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963, has long been the subject of conspiracy theories. Official investigations concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald, a former Marine who had defected to the Soviet Union, acted alone in shooting Kennedy from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas. However, many have questioned this narrative, particularly after Oswald was killed by nightclub owner Jack Ruby just two days later.
The federal government centralized over five million assassination-related documents in the National Archives in the early 1990s, with a mandate to declassify them by 2017 unless exemptions were granted by the president. During his first term, Trump authorized the release of many records but withheld some, citing potential national security risks.
Experts estimate that around 3,000 documents remain classified, many originating from the CIA. These records could provide further insight into intelligence operations of the era, including Oswald’s visits to Soviet and Cuban embassies in Mexico City shortly before the assassination.
Researchers and Public Reaction
Larry J. Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics and author of The Kennedy Half-Century, emphasized the public’s enduring interest in these events. “There’s always the possibility that something would slip through that could reveal a larger truth,” Sabato noted, though he acknowledged that such discoveries are rare.
While many researchers believe the remaining documents are unlikely to contain groundbreaking revelations, they could shed light on how intelligence agencies operated during the Cold War. However, some records, such as tax returns and others exempt from the 2017 disclosure mandate, may remain permanently sealed.
What’s Next?
Trump’s order has reignited public interest in the JFK, RFK, and MLK assassinations, events that continue to shape American history and culture. The release of these records could potentially clarify long-standing mysteries or reinforce existing narratives, depending on their contents.
As researchers and historians await the declassification of these files, the move is seen as a step toward greater government transparency, even as questions linger about what secrets might remain locked away.
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