President Trump on Thursday ordered the declassification of government files related to the assassinations of President Kennedy, his brother, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

The order could end the long-standing secrecy surrounding

assassinations, which all occurred more than a half-century ago, and give historians answers about the events that are still shrouded in mystery.

“That’s a big one,” Mr. Trump said as he signed the order in the Oval Office. “Lot of people are waiting for this for a long, long time, for years, for decades, and everything will be revealed.”

Under Mr. Trump’s order, the director of national intelligence and the attorney general have 15 days to coordinate with the assistant to the president for national security affairs and Mr. Trump’s legal counsel and present a plan for the “full and complete release of records” related to President Kennedy’s assassination.

It also requires the same people to review the records related to the assassination of Robert Kennedy and King and present Mr. Trump with a plan for “their full and complete release.”

“Their families and the American people deserve transparency and truth. It is in the national interest to finally release all records related to these assassinations without delay,” the order said.

During his first term, Mr. Trump did release some documents related to Kennedy’s 1963 assassination in Dallas, Texas, but ultimately bowed to pressure from

the intelligence community who urged Mr. Trump to keep the information under wraps citing national security concerns.

In an interview Wednesday on Fox News’ “Hannity,” Mr. Trump said Mike Pompeo, who served as his CIA director and, later, secretary of state, was among those who urged him to keep some of the files classified.

“He felt it was just not a good time to release them,” Mr. Trump said.

President Biden also declassified some of the documents related to President Kennedy’s assassination, but like Mr. Trump withheld some files citing national security.

Mr. Trump made it clear in his order Thursday that he’s changed his mind, calling the release of the records “long overdue.”

“I have determined that the release of all records in the federal government’s possession pertaining to each of those assassinations is also in the public interest,” he wrote.

President Kennedy was killed while riding in a motorcade through Dallas’ Dealey Plaza on Nov. 22, 1963. His brother, Robert Kennedy, was killed on June 5, 1968, in a Los Angeles hotel.

Mr. Trump has nominated Robert Kennedy’s son, Robert F.

Kennedy Jr., to serve as head of the Department of Health and Human Services.

King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, while standing on a balcony at a hotel in Memphis, Tennessee.

• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.

• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.