President Donald Trump has officially released the FBI files regarding Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. The more than 6,000 files were unsealed in spite of King’s family protesting against it, and even more documents are expected to be released as time continues.
Suggested Reading
Originally, the MLK files were scheduled to be completely unsealed in 2027, including tapes, never before seen documents and transcripts dating back to the FBI’s probe into the civil rights leader. In response to Trump’s recent release of the files, Bernice King, Dr. King’s youngest daughter, called him out, tweeting “Now, do the Epstein files.”
What’s in the Files?!
The 6,000 files released equate to about 230,000 pages on Dr. King, most of which detail the government’s case on King before his death in 1968. Some of the pages are blurry or have deteriorated over time, but according to many experts, there’s no brand new information in these files.
Several historians confirmed this to the New York Times. The release did not include tapes or transcripts of the FBI’s wiretapping and surveillance of King. Those files, ironically, will remain sealed until 2027 just as the original deadline stated.
So far, only one audio recording has been unsealed, and that’s of Jerry Ray, the brother of the assassin. Additionally, the files include internal agency memos, leads pursued by investigators in the assassination case and other news clippings. Before his death, King made several anti-war and anti-poverty efforts, which are also documented in the released files.
King’s Children Statement
In a joint statement, Bernice and Martin Luther King III wrote on Monday (July 21), “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.” As the last living children of the Atlanta-born leader, Bernice and King III have been avid critics of the president during both of his administrations.
Their statement continued, “We strongly condemn any attempts to misuse these documents in ways intended to undermine our father’s legacy and the significant achievements of the movement,” They added, “Those who promote the fruit of the FBI’s surveillance will unknowingly align themselves with an ongoing campaign to degrade our father and the Civil Rights Movement.”
Why Release the Files Now?
In January, President Trump signed an executive order to release the files of President John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. King. This came months after Trump promised to release the files on disgraced sex offender Jeffery Epstein. Many Americans– especially Republicans– seem to care more about the Epstein case than MLK’s, and now, some have raised suspicion over the timing of the release of the MLK files.
Civil rights leader Al Sharpton said Trump’s move is “not about transparency or justice,” but it is a “smear” and “clear distraction” from “the firestorm engulfing Trump over the Epstein files and the public unraveling of his credibility.”
Controversy Surrounding MLK’s Assassination
The history books teach us that James Earl Ray, the segregationist convicted of King’s assassination, acted on his own accord. But over the years, King’s family and other activists have insisted the American government had more of a role in the 39-year-old’s assassination.
King’s family eventually sued the federal government because of this… and won. They argued his killing was a result of a conspiracy to murder him, and in 1999, 12 jurors reached a unanimous decision in their favor, according to the Department of Justice. The King family was only awarded $100, which they donated to charity.
Straight From 
Sign up for our free daily newsletter.