In a recent executive order, President Donald Trump directed the release of classified documents related to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr. This directive mandates a review by the Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General, with a plan for full disclosure due within 45 days. This action fulfills a campaign promise by Trump to unveil these documents during his second term, emphasizing the public's right to know the truth after 60 years.

This isn't the first attempt at declassifying these files. The 1992 John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act stipulated the release of all related records within 25 years, with provisions for security-based postponements.

Trump's previous commitment to release the documents during his first term was thwarted by CIA and FBI appeals, citing potential harm to national security. He justified the decision at the time by stating that potential risks to national security outweighed the public's interest in immediate disclosure.

Following this, former President Joe Biden oversaw further releases of documents in 2021, 2022, and 2023. By July 2023, the National Archives and Records Administration declared that 99% of the JFK files were publicly accessible.

Trump's current order asserts that continued redaction of JFK assassination records contradicts public interest and that their release is overdue. He extends this rationale to the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., advocating for full transparency despite the absence of a congressional mandate.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump's nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary, praised the decision as a crucial first step towards rectifying a history of secrecy and disinformation surrounding these assassinations. He connected this pattern of obfuscation to subsequent crises, including the Vietnam War, 9/11, the Iraq War, and the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing that they contributed to the erosion of democracy.

Conversely, JFK's grandson, Jack Schlossberg, criticized the move, accusing Trump of exploiting JFK's legacy for political gain.