President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday declassifying the remaining files related to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Historians and political scientists are speculating about what the documents might reveal. Trump had previously promised during his first term to release all remaining files related to these assassinations. He said withholding this information was not consistent with the high level of public interest in the cases. The new order will release portions of files that have long been redacted. SMU political science professor Dr. Matthew Wilson said the move aligns with Trump’s political strategy. “Just from a strictly political standpoint, I don’t think that Trump has anything to lose by releasing these documents, and certainly some Americans will be grateful of the transparency this brings,” Wilson said. JFK’s assassination, in particular, has remained a focal point of sustained interest, along with numerous conspiracy theories. “The hope would be, yes, to increase public understanding of what transpired. And also, that it would put to bed some of the conspiracy theorists,” Wilson said. “I suspect, though, that people will continue to nurture their pet conspiracy theories regardless of what these documents say, because there’s really a market for it.” Wilson added that the documents might reveal new details about the intelligence agencies operating at the time. He noted that whatever the files disclose, they are likely to ignite discussions within academic and public circles. “For students of history, and students of politics, and students of American culture, this is pretty exciting in the sense that these are major epical events of that time that really profoundly shaped the social and political landscape and have been surrounded by controversy and elements of mystery,” he said. There is a 15-day deadline to present a plan for the release of JFK’s files and a 45-day deadline for RFK’s and Dr. King’s files. Read the White House fact sheet here: White House Fact Sheet