President Donald Trump's recent executive order to declassify the JFK files has elicited a range of responses from various individuals closely connected to the Kennedy family and the historical events surrounding the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
In a public statement, Jack Schlossberg, grandson of President Kennedy, expressed his disappointment with Trump's decision, stating that the declassification was being used as a political tool and lacked any heroic intent. Schlossberg emphasized that such actions were unfair to JFK, who is no longer alive to defend himself.
Conversely, RFK Jr., son of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy and a nominee for a position in Trump's administration, praised the executive order, calling it a positive step towards transparency. He believes that the release of these records will help shed light on the truth behind the assassinations of his father and uncle, as well as Martin Luther King Jr.
Trump's order mandates the full release of records related to the JFK assassination within 15 days, with an additional 45-day deadline for files concerning the assassinations of RFK and MLK Jr. The King family has expressed a desire to review the files privately before their public release.
Despite Trump's initial promise to disclose the JFK files earlier in his presidency, some information remains undisclosed over 60 years later. The decision to withhold certain documents was influenced by concerns raised by the CIA and FBI, with Trump citing significant national security implications as the reason for the delay.
In a recent interview, Trump revealed that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had advised against releasing the documents, citing unspecified reasons for their continued classification.
