President Donald Trump has once again championed transparency and accountability, signing an executive order to release long-classified FBI files connected to the assassinations of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., President John F. Kennedy, and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. This bold move promises to shed light on decades-old mysteries and challenge the historical narratives shaped by government secrecy.
“These files have been hidden for far too long,” Trump declared in the Oval Office on Thursday. “The American people deserve the truth, and everything will be revealed.”
For the King family, this decision brings mixed emotions. In a heartfelt statement, they expressed the personal pain they’ve endured since Dr. King’s tragic assassination in 1968, saying, “For us, the assassination of our father is a deeply personal family loss that we have endured over the last 56 years. We hope to be provided the opportunity to review the files as a family prior to their public release.”
Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, by James Earl Ray while standing on a second-floor balcony at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Despite Ray’s guilty plea and subsequent imprisonment, questions surrounding the events leading up to King’s death—and the FBI’s controversial role during his lifetime—have lingered for decades.
The files are expected to uncover explosive details about the FBI’s campaign to undermine Dr. King’s leadership. Under the direction of then-FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, the agency engaged in a systematic effort to discredit King, even going so far as to send an anonymous letter urging him to commit suicide.
One FBI analysis from just weeks before the assassination accused members of King’s inner circle of being affiliated with the Communist Party. The report claimed the party sought to exploit King’s movement to spread its agenda across America, describing his organization, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, as “made to order” for their goals.
In addition to political accusations, the FBI’s files include salacious claims about King’s personal life, painting a picture of alleged behind-the-scenes scandals meant to tarnish his reputation as a moral and religious leader. Whether these claims are credible or part of a broader campaign to delegitimize King’s fight against racial injustice remains to be seen.
Trump’s executive order also includes the release of files related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, further fueling speculation about hidden truths. Critics, including JFK’s grandson Jack Schlossberg, have dismissed the move as politically motivated. “Declassification is using JFK as a political prop when he’s not here to punch back,” Schlossberg complained.
But Trump’s supporters see it differently. They view the president’s actions as a courageous step toward holding the government accountable and uncovering the truths that previous administrations have sought to conceal. “This is about giving the American people what they’ve been denied for decades: the facts,” Trump emphasized.
For those who value transparency and historical accuracy, this is a long-overdue moment. As the files are prepared for release, Americans will finally have the opportunity to delve into the murky history of some of the nation’s most tragic events—and hold the government accountable for its role in them.
