The President Trump’s administration on Monday released more than 240,000 pages what areknow as MLK files which are FBI records detailing the role of agency in surveiling the US civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr..
The much talked about MLK filers wrre made public despite opposition from his family and the organization he once led.
What Are MLK Files?
The files include records, gathered between the 1950s and King’s assassination in 1968, which were sealed under a court order since 1977. The FBI later handed them over to the National Archives and Records Administration, where they remained under lock until now.
King’s two surviving children, Martin Luther King III, 67, and Bernice King, 62, were informed before the release of the files and their legal and research teams were allowed to review the documents before making public. The family’s review continued even as the government began posting the digital files online.
In a statement issued Monday, the King children described their father’s assassination as a matter of “captivating public curiosity for decades.” However, they urged the public to view the newly released documents “within their full historical context.”
Today, after nearly 60 years of questions surrounding the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we are releasing 230,000 MLK assassination files, available now at https://t.co/71P3p5jBgK. The documents include details about the FBI’s investigation into the assassination… pic.twitter.com/l96t9tgYmn
— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) July 21, 2025
Family of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Releases Statement on MLK Files
“As the children of Dr. King and Mrs. Coretta Scott King, his tragic death has been an intensely personal grief, a devastating loss for his wife, children, and the granddaughter he never met, an absence our family has endured for over 57 years,” the statement read.
“We ask those who engage with the release of these files to do so with empathy, restraint, and respect for our family’s continuing grief,” the King siblings wrote.
They also reiterated the family’s long-standing belief that James Earl Ray, the man convicted of killing Dr. King, may not have been solely responsible for the assassination, if responsible at all.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard Praises Donald Trump on The Release of MLK Files
The Office of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard called the document release “unprecedented.” The office noted that many of the files had been digitized for the first time to make the disclosure possible.
Gabbard also praised President Donald Trump for pushing for the release, pointing out that he had pledged during his campaign to declassify records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
After taking office in January, Trump signed an executive order directing the release of files related to the 1963 JFK assassination, as well as the 1968 assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.
The government unsealed the JFK files in March and released a portion of the RFK files in April. Monday’s action fulfills the King-related portion of Trump’s January executive order.
After MLK Files, Will Trump Adminstration Release Epstein Files?
The timing of making MLK files public comes as Trump faces growing criticism from his supporters over the administration’s handling of the sealed records related to the sex trafficking investigation of Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial during Trump’s first term as president.
Last Friday, Trump ordered the Justice Department to release grand jury testimony in the Epstein case but stopped short of unsealing the entire case file.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
