(AURN News) — President Donald Trump has ordered federal intelligence officials to release classified records related to the assassination of civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., along with documents concerning President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.

The executive order requires the Director of National Intelligence to present a declassification plan within 15 days, with the complete release of the King assassination records mandated within 45 days. The White House said Trump believes releasing the King records is "in the public interest."

In response, the King family issued a statement expressing their personal connection to the upcoming release: "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."

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