On Thursday, January 23, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to declassify all remaining government files related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy (JFK), Senator Robert F. Kennedy (RFK), and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK). This decision, 60 years after JFK’s assassination in Dallas, Texas, is intended to provide transparency and resolve lingering public doubts about these historical events.
Trump’s executive order directs the Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General to devise a plan within 15 days to release all remaining documents, with implementation timelines of 45 days for the RFK and MLK files. “A lot of people are waiting for this for a long… for years, for decades,” Trump remarked during the Oval Office signing ceremony. He asked that the pen he used be given to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., son of the late RFK.
The files in question have been partially released over the decades, with millions of pages already public. According to the National Archives, 97% of the approximately five million JFK-related documents have been declassified. However, thousands of files remain redacted or sealed, fueling ongoing speculation. Notable recent releases include CIA documents detailing Lee Harvey Oswald’s visits to Cuban and Soviet embassies in Mexico City weeks before the assassination.
Experts believe the remaining documents are unlikely to reveal a “smoking gun” but may shed additional light on the events surrounding the assassinations. “As a statement of intention, it’s great that the president has put his promise into words on paper. That’s important,” said Jefferson Morley, a journalist and JFK assassination expert. “But the details and implementation are everything. This process is just beginning.”
The decision to declassify comes after Trump initially promised full disclosure during his first term but withheld certain files after being persuaded by CIA and FBI officials to do so citing national security concerns. Trump explained that former CIA Director Mike Pompeo had advised against full disclosure at the time, a decision described as influenced by concerns about the timing.
The 1963 assassination of JFK by Lee Harvey Oswald, a former Marine who had defected to the Soviet Union before returning to the United States, remains a source of widespread public skepticism. Official investigations concluded that Oswald acted alone, but conspiracy theories persist, fueled by unanswered questions and the subsequent murder of Oswald by nightclub owner Jack Ruby. Similarly, RFK’s assassination in 1968 by Sirhan Sirhan and the killing of Martin Luther King Jr. by James Earl Ray have been subject to conspiracy theories questioning the official narratives.
Polls have shown that a majority of Americans doubt the lone gunman theory in JFK’s assassination. Unanswered questions about Oswald’s connections to foreign governments, the mafia, and potential covert operations have kept speculation alive. The release of these files could provide crucial insights, but experts caution against expecting definitive revelations.
The 1992 JFK Records Act mandated that all assassination-related documents be declassified by 2017, yet full disclosure has not been achieved under either Trump or Biden. Trump’s new executive order acknowledges that continued secrecy “is not consistent with the public interest” and aims to address decades of speculation and mistrust.
Recent document releases have revealed new details, such as the CIA’s extensive surveillance of Oswald and a statement by former Secret Service agent Paul Landis, who claimed to have removed a bullet from the presidential car after the shooting. This account challenges the “single-bullet theory,” which posits that one bullet struck both Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connally.
The executive order also extends to files related to RFK’s assassination, which occurred in Los Angeles during his 1968 presidential campaign. Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian angered by U.S. support for Israel, was convicted of the murder, but RFK Jr. has expressed doubts about Sirhan’s guilt. Meanwhile, MLK’s assassination in Memphis, Tennessee, also in 1968, continues to inspire theories about a broader conspiracy beyond the actions of James Earl Ray.
Trump’s decision to declassify the files marks a significant moment in the pursuit of transparency. However, as Morley noted, ensuring a full and meaningful release remains challenging. For now, the public and historians alike will wait to see whether these documents will finally answer the lingering questions surrounding three of America’s most consequential assassinations.