Trump orders release of John F Kennedy, Martin Luther King assassination files

WASHINGTON: United States (US) President, Donald Trump, signed an executive order directing the declassification and release of documents related to the assassination of former US President, John F Kennedy and civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr.

The executive order will also declassify the files concerning the killings of Senator Robert F Kennedy.

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John F Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, an event that came to define the US history. The association was attributed to Lee Harvey Oswald, who was apprehended shortly after the incident but was killed two days later by Jack Ruby.

The Warren Commission, convened by the US President, Lyndon B Johnson, concluded in 1964 that Oswald acted independently.

However, circumstances surrounding Kennedy’s death have fuelled thousands of conspiracy theories and several public inquiries. Over the decades, there have been numerous calls for the release of the classified documents that could shed light on the events of the fateful day.

Trump’s latest executive order mere days into his second term follows his earlier promise to disclose the documents during his 2016 presidential campaign. Interestingly, Trump has repeatedly refused to declassify Epstein Island documents, which by several accounts, he was a regular visitor of the notorious island.

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is responsible for managing the release of these documents, which are expected to offer new revelations on the famous assassination and the investigation that ensued.

The order also includes documents related to the assignation of Robert F Kennedy, John Kennedy’s young brother. He was also a prominent politician, a US senator and even an attorney general. He was shot on June 5, 1968 shortly after delivering a victory speech following his win in the California primary for the Democratic prudential nomination.

 A young Palestinian by the name of Sirhan Sirhan was convicted for the murder. Similar to his brother’s assassination, Robert F Kennedy’s death has been shrouded in controversy, with many questioning the motives and circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Meanwhile, Martin Luther King Jr, a key figure in the US civil rights movement for black citizens, was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in the conservative Tennessee. James Earl Ray was arrested and convicted for the murder, but doubts have lingered about the investigation and the potential involvement of other parties, including the US government itself.

King’s family, including his son Dexter, has long maintained that James Earl Ray was ‘scapegoated’ and believe in his innocence. The civil rights leader’s family filed a civil case against a man who alleged US government and mafia involvement in King’s death.

During the case, over 70 witnesses and 4,000 pages were submitted as evidence, which apparently implicates the US military, local law enforcement department, and even the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

In the trial titled “Coretta Scott king vs Loyd Jowers”, a twelve-member jury found Martin Luther King victim of a conspiracy that involved local law enforcement and US intelligence agencies.

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Trump’s latest order falls in line with his broader narrative of portraying himself as ‘anti-establishment’ figure. Throughout his first presidency, he criticised US intelligence agencies and talked about an alleged ‘deep state’, whom he accused of hiding secrets from the public. Although whenever Epstein Island case is brought up, Trump is mum on the topic.