Declassification of JFK, RFK, and MLK Files

President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order Thursday mandating the complete declassification of all government records related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., ending decades of secrecy surrounding these pivotal moments in American history.

"Their families and the American people deserve transparency and truth," declared Trump in the executive order, emphasizing that "it is in the national interest to finally release all records related to these assassinations without delay."

• Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Orders Declassification of JFK, RFK, and MLK Assassination Files
• Declassification of Records Concerning the Assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The order gives intelligence agencies 15 days to present a plan for releasing JFK assassination records and 45 days for documents related to RFK and MLK. "This is a big one. A lot of people have been waiting for this for years, for decades. Everything will be revealed," Trump stated.

This action follows Trump's previous efforts during his first term, when he ordered the release of 2,800 JFK-related documents in 2017 while yielding to FBI and CIA requests to review other sensitive materials. Subsequent delays under the Biden administration in 2021, 2022, and 2023 further postponed full disclosure.

The declassification carries particular significance given Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s long-standing advocacy for transparency. During his 2024 presidential campaign, Kennedy Jr. called for President Biden to release the files, and in an interview with Tucker Carlson, he asserted that the CIA has kept the documents secret and "it clearly is to protect the institution." Kennedy Jr. has often highlighted a JFK quote: "the very word 'secrecy' is repugnant in a free and open society."

These assassinations marked a transformative period in American history, particularly through Dr. King's legacy. As the chief architect of the civil rights movement, King's work fundamentally shifted the nation's perspective from "civil liberties" to "civil rights," transferring responsibility from individual citizens keeping government limited to government ensuring universal rights.

The 1992 JFK Records Act mandated full disclosure by 2017 unless specific national security concerns warranted delay. While 99% of the millions of assassination-related documents are public, thousands remain classified or redacted.

The Director of National Intelligence and Attorney General must coordinate with national security officials to execute the declassification plans. The order maintains provisions for protecting legitimate national security interests while emphasizing maximum transparency.