President’s executive order promises the release of long-awaited documents, though they won’t be immediately available

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 23, 2025, to declassify documents related to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a move he described as “a big one” in the Oval Office. The order aims to make long-hidden information public, reinforcing Trump’s ongoing commitment to transparency in the government.

While some JFK files were released in 2017, certain documents had been redacted at the request of the CIA and FBI. A 1992 law required the release of these files by 2017 unless the president authorized delays, and Trump has now decided to make them fully available, declaring that continued withholding is inconsistent with public interest.

While the release of JFK’s records is prioritized, the files on RFK and MLK will also be disclosed, although these records are not directly governed by any law. Trump’s order stipulates that the director of national intelligence and the attorney general have 15 days to present a plan for the JFK files and 45 days for the others.

The decision comes amid renewed calls for transparency, especially from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who, during his presidential campaign, criticized the CIA’s role in his uncle’s assassination. Trump previously endorsed a new commission to oversee the release of these files, underscoring the public’s long-standing interest in understanding the details behind these high-profile deaths.

While significant portions of the JFK assassination records had been released under the Biden administration, Trump’s order marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing debate about government transparency and accountability regarding these historical tragedies.