U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to declassify government documents related to the high-profile assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s, multiple news outlets reported Thursday.
The order tasks the Director of National Intelligence with preparing a plan within 15 days for the “full and complete release” of files on JFK’s assassination, with a separate plan for the release of documents on RFK and King due within 45 days.
Trump, who made the pledge during a rally ahead of his inauguration, said, “A lot of people have been waiting for this for years. For decades.” The president also promised, “Everything will be revealed,” while signing the order, according to a video that surfaced on social media.
The killings of JFK in 1963, RFK in 1968, and Martin Luther King the same year remain subjects of public controversy and speculation. The National Archives holds millions of records on Kennedy’s assassination alone.
Despite previous attempts to release these files, thousands remain classified due to national security concerns, largely under pressure from agencies like the CIA and FBI.