US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to declassify documents relating to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., according to multiple news outlets on Thursday.
The executive order tasks the director of national intelligence with preparing a plan within 15 days for the full and complete release of documents related to President Kennedy’s assassination. A separate plan for the release of files concerning the killings of his brother, Robert F. Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is to be prepared within 45 days.
Trump had previously vowed to make these documents public, pledging to release the files during a victory rally at the Capital One Arena in Washington ahead of his inauguration. The high-profile assassinations of these figures in the 1960s, which have been subjects of persistent controversy and speculation, continue to fuel public curiosity.
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) holds millions of records pertaining to the assassination of JFK alone. In the 1990s, the US government mandated the almost-full release of these documents by October 2017. However, between 3,000 and 4,000 documents remain withheld, often due to national security concerns.
Trump previously made a similar pledge during his first term, releasing a portion of the documents but withholding others, citing pressure from agencies such as the CIA and FBI.
A video circulating on social media shows Trump signing the executive order, with the president remarking, “That is a big one. A lot of people have been waiting for this for years. For decades.” He added, “Everything will be revealed,” while putting pen to paper.
