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Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News
Callum Jones
Martin Luther King Jr.'s family have spoken out on Donald Trump's decision to release the secret FBI files on arguably the world's most infamous assassination.
President Trump has been in The White Office for only a matter of days, but he's certainly wasted no time getting his feet under the table.
Trump signed off on numerous executive orders, which included halting the ban of TikTok, changing laws on immigration, and declaring that there are 'only two genders', a matter of hours upon his return to the Oval Office.
And on Thursday (January 23), Trump signed off an executive order that would see the files connected to the deaths of King, President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy declassified.
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Following the news, a statement has been released on behalf of King's family.
They said: "Today, our family has learned that President Trump has ordered the declassification of the remaining records pertaining to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy, and our father, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
"For us, the assassination of our father is a deeply personal family loss that we have endured over the last 56 years. We hope to be provided the opportunity to review the files as a family prior to its public release."
On the evening of April 4, 1968, King was shot and killed by James Earl Ray as he stood on a second-floor balcony at a Memphis hotel.
While the assassination may have taken place nearly 60 years ago now, King's family have continued to search for answers regarding his death.
Also impacted by Trump's new order is JFK's family, after the 47th US president announced plans to release classified files on the assassination of the 35th president.
In 1963, JFK was gunned down in broad daylight as he rode through Dallas, Texas, becoming the subject of numerous conspiracy theories over the years.
Jack Schlossberg, the former president's grandson, has since spoken out following Trump's executive order.
Taking to Twitter, he wrote: "JFK conspiracy theories — The truth is a lot sadder than the myth — a tragedy that didn’t need to happen. Not part of an inevitable grand scheme.
"Declassification is using JFK as a political prop, when he’s not here to punch back. There’s nothing heroic about it."
It's certainly been an eventful first week in Trump's second term as president!