Americans Support Release of Classified Documents on JFK, RFK, and MLK Assassinations

A majority of Americans, 57%, believe the documents will reveal significant new information about the assassinations. The poll of 1,000 registered voters was conducted by pollster Scott Rasmussen’s RMG Research in the wake of Trump’s Jan. 23 executive order. It set a 15-day deadline for officials to outline a plan for releasing the JFK files and 45 days for RFK and MLK.

“A lot of people have been waiting for this for years,” Trump said. “Everything will be revealed.”

Documents related to JFK’s assassination in 1963, his brother RFK’s murder in 1968, and MLK’s in 1968 have remained classified by the government. Trump, during his first term, and other presidents previously declined to release the information, citing national security concerns.

A significant portion of the public suspects the U.S. intelligence community or other government agencies were involved in the assassinations of all three men.

The survey found that 54% of respondents believe the government was likely involved in JFK’s assassination. Meanwhile, 48% think the government played a role in RFK’s killing, and 53% believe the government was involved in the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

92% of Republicans favor releasing the documents compared to 44% of Democrats.

“I have now determined that the continued redaction and withholding of information from records pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy is not consistent with the public interest and the release of these records is long overdue.”

The poll was conducted Jan. 28-29 with a 3.1% margin of error.