In a significant move towards transparency, President Donald Trump has issued an executive order mandating the declassification of all remaining classified documents related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
This action fulfills a long-standing commitment made by Trump during his presidency and extends to files concerning the assassinations of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The executive order emphasizes that, more than five decades after these tragic events, the federal government has not yet made all pertinent records available to the public.
“The families and the American people deserve transparency and truth,” the order states, asserting that releasing these documents is in the national interest and should occur without further delay.
The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 mandated the full public disclosure of related files by October 2017.
However, various exemptions have allowed certain documents to remain classified. Trump’s order criticizes the ongoing redactions, stating that they are “not consistent with the public interest.”
“I have now determined that the continued redaction and withholding of information from records pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy is not consistent with the public interest and the release of these records is long overdue,” the order reads.
Trump added, “Everything will be revealed,” expressing that many have been waiting for this information for years, if not decades. The declassification process is expected to proceed quickly.
The Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General have been given a 15-day deadline to present a plan for the full release of records related to Kennedy’s assassination, while they have 45 days to address the files concerning Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. Despite the directive, it remains uncertain when the public will actually gain access to these documents.
In a statement to CBS News, the FBI confirmed its compliance with the executive order, noting the 15-day review period for records related to JFK’s assassination and the 45-day timeframe for the other two assassinations.
The FBI indicated that it is currently in the process of identifying relevant documents and will work closely with the Department of Justice and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to ensure compliance with the order.
During his re-election campaign, Trump reiterated his promise to release the remaining files related to Kennedy’s assassination, a commitment he had made during his first term but later retracted after receiving advice from intelligence officials.
Former CIA Director Mike Pompeo was among those who cautioned Trump against releasing certain files, citing potential national security risks. However, this time, Trump has firmly stated that all files will be disclosed.
The assassination of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, has been the subject of extensive speculation and numerous conspiracy theories. While Lee Harvey Oswald was officially identified as the lone gunman, many questions and theories have persisted over the years.
Although researchers believe that only a small fraction of the millions of records remain classified, they agree that the newly released documents could still provide valuable insights into the events surrounding Kennedy’s assassination.
As the nation awaits the outcome of this declassification process, the hope for greater transparency and understanding of these pivotal moments in American history remains strong.
The release of these records could potentially shed light on the complexities and controversies that have surrounded the assassinations of these prominent figures, offering a clearer picture of the past for both families and the American public.
