Topline
President Donald Trump ordered Thursday the declassification of all records concerning the assassinations of former President John F. Kennedy, former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., issuing the release of the documents after some were left redacted following his first presidential term.
Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.
Key Facts
Trump said in the executive order the release of the assassination records is in the interest of the American people and families of the deceased, noting the release of the records, which will come over 60 years after the assassinations, is long overdue.
All records pertaining to JFK’s assassination were to be publicly released by 2017 under the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, which carved out an exception for information that went against public interest or was deemed harmful to U.S. military defense, intelligence operations, law enforcement or foreign relations conduct.
There are no congressional acts forcing the release of records related to the assassinations of RFK and MLK Jr., but Trump determined the release of those documents was also in the public interest.
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Why Are The Assassination Documents Being Released?
Likely because interest and skepticism over the assassinations has stayed relatively consistent in the public and political realms for decades. In 2013, which marked the 50th anniversary of JFK’s assassination, about 61% of Americans believed Lee Harvey Oswald, the former president’s murderer, did not act alone, according to a Gallup survey. The curiosity has also been fueled by the fact that despite Trump and former President Joe Biden releasing swaths of documents in their respective terms, not all documents have been released.
How Many Assassination Documents Will Be Released?
It is not clear how many documents about RFK and MLK Jr.’s assassinations will be released, though experts have estimated between 3,000 and 4,000 documents about the JFK assassination will be released. Only about 3% of records concerning the assassination remained shielded from public view in 2022, NBC News reported.
What Might Be Revealed In The Assassination Documents?
While it is not absolutely certain what the documents will contain and if they will contain compelling information, experts who spoke to the Associated Press do not believe the content will include new revelatory information. Investigative journalist and author Gerald Posner, who authored a bestselling book concluding Oswald acted alone, told the AP “Anybody waiting for a smoking gun that’s going to turn this case upside down will be sorely disappointed.”
What Assassination Documents Have Been Released So Far?
Millions of documents have been released concerning JFK’s assassination and can be found on the National Archives website. No history-altering revelations—suggesting anything other than the official conclusion that Oswald acted alone—have been gleaned from released records so far, though they have provided previously publicly unknown details. Some of the most recently redacted portions revealed a CIA agent read Oswald’s mail one year before JFK’s assassination, according to NBC News.
What Has Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Said About The Assassination?
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s pick for Health and Human Services secretary, has pinned his uncle’s death on the Central Intelligence Agency. He has also claimed there is "convincing" but "circumstantial" evidence the CIA was involved in his father’s death.
When Will The Assassination Documents Be Released?
The release of the documents could take up to 60 days, according to the executive order. However, they may be released some time earlier than that, as Trump said in order it was in the nation’s interest to release them “without delay.”
Key Background
MLK Jr. and RFK were both murdered in 1968, five years after JFK’s assassination. While RFK Jr. has said he believes the CIA was involved in his father’s death, the agency, in addition to the FBI, has also been implicated by conspiracy theorists in the death of King as well, with skeptics pointing out federal spying campaigns carried out against the civil rights leader.
Further Reading
Will Trump Release The Remaining Files On JFK’s Assassination? Here’s What He’s Said. (Forbes)
