On Thursday, January 23, 2024, President Donald Trump issued an executive order demanding the release of thousands of classified documents related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This move was met with immediate and sharp criticism from John F. Kennedy’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg.
According to the executive order, the Federal Government has yet to release all records related to these assassinations to the public, despite the events having taken place over 50 years ago. The order states, “Their families and the American people deserve transparency and truth… It is in the national interest to finally release all records related to these assassinations without delay.”
This move fulfills a promise Trump made during his reelection campaign, despite previously retreating from similar commitments due to concerns raised by intelligence agencies. In a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity on Wednesday, Trump previewed the action, saying, “I’m going to release them immediately. We’re going to see the information. We are looking at it right now.”
Jack Schlossberg, the only grandson of JFK and an emerging figure in the Democratic party, criticized Trump’s decision on the social media platform X. He stated, “The truth is a lot sadder than the myth — a tragedy that didn’t need to happen.” Schlossberg, a lawyer and journalist, accused Trump of politicizing his grandfather’s death and warned that the declassification could fuel conspiracy theories regarding the assassination.
Under Trump’s directive, the Director of National Intelligence is tasked with devising a plan to release the remaining JFK files. During the signing ceremony in the Oval Office, Trump noted, “That’s a big one, huh?” and asked that the signing pen be handed to RFK Jr. He proceeded to state, “A lot of people are waiting for this for a long… for years, for decades. Everything will be revealed.”
The order grants intelligence officials a 45-day period to plan the release of files related to the assassinations of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., thereby extending the scope beyond just the JFK documents.
Trump’s initial hesitation to declassify the documents was due to the objections of his former CIA Director and Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, who had explicitly requested that the files remain classified. Trump suggested that Pompeo’s concerns stemmed from sensitive information that justified keeping the records classified. The CIA and FBI also argued that some documents contain sensitive material that should be kept classified for the sake of national security.
While a large number of JFK assassination documents have already been declassified, several thousand remain in archives. Recent releases have included CIA cables and memos documenting Lee Harvey Oswald’s visits to Cuban and Soviet embassies in Mexico City, Mexico, weeks before the assassination. These documents disclosed Oswald’s activities in the weeks leading up to the shooting on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas.
The declassification decision has revealed a stark divide within the Kennedy family. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed strong support for the release, claiming there is “overwhelming evidence that the CIA was involved in his murder” and asserting his uncle was targeted for refusing to commit U.S. forces to the Vietnam War. This stance starkly contrasts with his nephew Schlossberg’s view that conspiracy theories are mere unnecessary speculation.
On the day of JFK’s assassination in Dallas, Texas, the president was in an open motorcade with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connally when shots were fired in Dealey Plaza. Oswald was arrested shortly afterward but was shot dead two days later by nightclub owner Jack Ruby, an event captured live on television, adding to the intrigue surrounding a tragedy that has captivated the American public for over six decades.
Experts who have examined the previously released documents believe the remaining files are unlikely to contain information that would significantly alter the accepted narrative of events. Nevertheless, amateur investigators persist in analyzing each new piece of information, seeking evidence that could support or refute the numerous theories that have persisted since that day in November in Dallas.