New Deadline Looms for RFK and MLK Assassination Files Amid Epstein Fallout

As the dust barely settles from the public uproar over the Jeffrey Epstein files, another deadline is here for the release of highly sensitive documents—this time concerning the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) and Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK). Sunday marks the second key date in the push to declassify these assassination files, following a January executive order from President Donald Trump.

Trump’s directive demands transparency on three monumental historical events: the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. By March 9, the director of national intelligence (DNI) and other officials were tasked with presenting their release plans for the RFK and MLK files. If this sounds familiar, it’s because a similar deadline for the JFK files came and went on February 7, with mixed reactions to the results.

The timing of this new RFK/MLK file deadline couldn’t be more awkward, given the recent controversy surrounding the Epstein files. In late February, the Department of Justice revealed a batch of Epstein-related documents, but many of these had already been made public during Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial. Critics didn’t hold back, slamming the lack of fresh revelations and questioning the Trump administration’s apparent mishandling of the case. Naturally, this has sparked curiosity—and skepticism—about what the assassination files might contain.

Gerald Posner, author of the JFK-focused book "Case Closed," doesn’t foresee any earth-shattering discoveries in the RFK and MLK files. He speculates that while there may be interesting tidbits, they likely won’t rewrite history as we know it. It’s the kind of cautious optimism that keeps conspiracy theorists up at night.

Trump’s push for declassification stems from campaign promises during his bid for a second term. He famously vowed to unravel the mysteries of the JFK assassination, declaring, "It’s been 60 years, time for the American people to know the truth." According to the FBI, a new review of related records has unearthed approximately 2,400 previously unidentified documents linked to the JFK case. They’re now in the process of transferring these materials to the National Archives for declassification. But transparency enthusiasts are holding their collective breath, hoping these files aren’t just another round of "old news."

The Epstein case continues to cast a long shadow over the Justice Department. Attorney General Pam Bondi recently accused federal investigators in New York of withholding thousands of pages of Epstein-related documents. In response, the FBI scrambled to deliver what Bondi called a "truckload" of files just before a strict Friday morning deadline. If the Epstein debacle taught us anything, it’s that deadlines don’t always mean clarity—or accountability.

With the RFK and MLK files now in the spotlight, public interest is at a fever pitch. What remains to be seen is whether these documents will shed new light on decades-old tragedies or simply add another layer of intrigue to the vaults of American history.