Trump Administration Discloses Extensive Files on Martin Luther King Jr.’s Assassination

The Trump administration has made public a vast collection of previously classified files regarding Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, shedding new light on the historical context of the FBI's monitoring of the civil rights leader.

The Trump administration has unveiled a significant amount of records related to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., including confidential surveillance files collected by the FBI. These documents, totaling approximately 230,000 pages, were kept from the public eye since a court order in 1977. Despite the release, family members of King have expressed their disapproval, cautioning against any misuse of the documents that may tarnish his legacy. In a statement, King's two surviving children, Martin III and Bernice, emphasized the need for empathy and respect as the files are made accessible. They highlighted the extensive and invasive surveillance campaign led by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover during their father's lifetime, describing it as an attack on his personal freedoms and dignity.

King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, at the age of 39. James Earl Ray, a criminal who later confessed to the murder, later recanted his admission. The Trump administration's decision to declassify these files fulfills a campaign promise made by the former president to release documents related to King's assassination, alongside those of John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy, by signing an executive order in January aimed at increasing transparency regarding these historic events.