The release came in response to an executive order issued by President Trump. King’s family warned they would object to any use of the records „to spread falsehoods“ about King’s life and legacy.
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 Monday follows through on an executive order Trump 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 been the subject of curiosity and conspiracy theories for decades.
It was not immediately clear what new historical insights would be found in the trove of documents. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said in a statement Monday 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.
