Education
22 Jul, 2025
Savannah Bennett
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. sits speaks on the telephone after encountering a white mob protesting against the Freedom Riders in Montgomery, Alabama, May 26, 1961. On Monday, the Trump administration released a trove of records about King's assassination.Express Newspapers/Getty Images/Hulton Archivehide caption
The National Archives has published thousands of newly digitized documents relating to the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as part of a directive by President Trump.
The release on Mondayfollows through onan executive orderTrump signed days into his second term, requiring the release and declassification of records connected to King's murder and the assassinations of former President John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy – tragedies that have beenthe subject of curiosity and conspiracy theoriesfor decades.
It was not immediately clear what new historical insights would be found inthe trove of documents. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said ina statementMonday that the release included more than 230,000 files relating to King's assassination, including information connected to the man who was convicted of murdering him, James Earl Ray.
"The documents include details about the FBI's investigation into the assassination of MLK, discussion of potential leads, internal FBI memos detailing the progress of the case, information about James Earl Ray's former cellmate who stated he discussed with Ray an alleged assassination plot, and more," the ODNI statement said.
King's family responded to the release by saying the files must be viewed "within their full historical context," adding that the late civil rights leader was "relentlessly targeted by an invasive, predatory, and deeply disturbing disinformation and surveillance campaign orchestrated by J. Edgar Hoover through the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)."
"While we support transparency and historical accountability, we object to any attacks on our father's legacy or attempts to weaponize it to spread falsehoods," King's children, Martin Luther King III and Dr. Bernice A. King, wrotein a statement.
Members of King's familyhave long disputed Ray's conviction, arguing he was set up, a point repeated in Monday's statement.
"As we review these newly released files, we will assess whether they offer additional insights beyond the findings our family has already accepted," they said.
In a statement announcing the release, Attorney General Pam Bondi said, "The American people deserve answers decades after the horrific assassination of one of our nation's great leaders."
The Trump administration's decision to publish the files comes as the White House facesgrowing pressure from Trump's baseto also release additional information related to disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In March,the administration also releasedthousands of recordsrelating to the assassination of JFK.