Trump latest: JFK killing files released, birthright citizenship bar halted

Trump latest: JFK killing files released, birthright citizenship bar halted

The documents associated with the assassinations of John F. Kennedy (JFK), Robert F. Kennedy (RFK), and Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) are being declassified in a new executive order from President Donald Trump.

“This is a big one. A lot of people have been waiting for this for years, for decades”, Trump said, as he signed the order at the White House. “And everything will be revealed”.

Here’s a look at the key highlights from Thursday, marking Trump’s fourth day in office.

JFK, RFK, MLK assassination files

For years, these files have fascinated researchers, reporters, conspiracy theorists and politicians, Trump included.

A law was passed in 1992 mandating that all files related to the JFK assassination be made public until the president’s decision to prevent the harm to national security outweighed the public interest in being made public.

Many of the files about JFK’s assassination in 1963 have already been released, there are fewer than 4, 700 withheld in part or in full.

In this new executive order, Trump did not specify which documents would be released, and he did not promise a blanket declassification. In 1968, King and Robert Kennedy were both killed.

[File: William J. Smith/AP] President John F. Kennedy pauses while Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg speaks outside the White House.

The records are not expected to be released immediately.

The Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General shall submit a plan to the President to allow the President to release all and the entirety of the documents relating to President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, according to the executive order.

For RFK and MLK files, the deadline is 45 days.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nephew of JFK and Robert Kennedy’s son, has claimed that the CIA carried out his uncle’s murder, a claim that the agency has refuted as untrue.

James Earl Ray, a fugitive who supported racial segregation, fatally shot MLK. However, Ray was not acting alone, according to members of the King family.

Dr. Martin Luther King
Dr Martin Luther King speaks at the Chicago peace march against the Vietnam War in March, 1967]File: Chick Harrity/AP]

Trump’s comments on the files are what?

According to Trump, “I’ve now determined that the continued redaction and withholding of information from records pertaining to President John F. Kennedy’s assassination is inconvenient with the public interest,” according to an executive order.

He continued, “I have determined that the release of all records” regarding Senator Kennedy and Dr. King’s deaths “is also in the public interest.”

Judge blocks Trump order

But even as Trump continued issuing a slew of executive orders, some are facing legal challenges. A federal judge also thwarted a major order, which would have prohibited the president from granting birthright citizenship as part of his anti-immigration agenda.

Birthright citizenship is a constitutional right that grants unborn children the citizenship of the United States. The order asks for the right to revoke citizenship for children who were born to undocumented immigrants and those who have temporary legal residences in the US, such as workers, students, tourists, and others.

A federal judge halted the order’s implementation for 14 days on Thursday, declaring it constitutional.

Judge John Coughenour, a Ronald Reagan appointee based in Seattle, approved the emergency request from Washington Attorney General Nick Brown and three other Democratic-led states to block the policy’s implementation.

“Where were the lawyers”? Coughenour inquired as to how the executive order’s signing process was made.

More than 150, 000 newborn children would be denied&nbsp, citizenship&nbsp, annually if Trump’s order is allowed to stand, according to the Democratic-led states.

What has Trump said about birthright citizenship?

In comments criticising birthright citizenship, Trump has said: “We have to end it. The only nation with it is us.

However, numerous countries grant citizenship based on birthplace. Like the US, most of these nations are located in the Western Hemisphere, including Canada and Mexico.

What responses did people have to this order?

At least six lawsuits have been brought against Trump since his signing, the majority brought by Democratic attorneys general and representatives from 22 states.

The 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, which grants citizenship to people “born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, has been in place for more than a century.

However, experts believe that this order’s interpretation is more complicated than it might seem.

“That’s the key phrase, ‘ subject to the jurisdiction thereof, ‘” Bruce DelValle, a constitutional lawyer, told Al Jazeera.

Because they are here as diplomats, the simple interpretation is that it excludes children of diplomats. They are not actually US citizens. However, I believe there is a minority viewpoint that [argues] that if you are here illegally, you cannot be subject to US laws. You are not a US citizen … and therefore the 14th amendment doesn’t apply to you, and that’s where the battleground is likely to be”, he added.

“The question here is – is President Trump interpreting the 14th amendment, or is he changing the 14th amendment”? DelValle said. “Clearly he cannot change the 14th amendment”.

Meeting in Davos

Trump also addressed a wide range of issues on Thursday during the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Here are some key highlights:

    Threatening tariffs on businesses: Trump said, “My message … is very simple: Come make your product in America, and we will give you among the lowest taxes of any nation on Earth”, he said. “But if you don’t, which is your prerogative, you’ll have to pay a tariff – differing amounts, but a tariff”.

  • Oil prices: Trump also turned to international oil prices, connecting them directly to the Russia-Ukraine war. “If the price came down, the Russia-Ukraine war would end immediately”, he said. “Right now, the price is high enough that that war will continue. You must lower the price of oil. You could end that war”.
  • The war in Ukraine: Trump expressed hope that peace talks between Russia and Ukraine were under way, emphasising the need for resolution: “It’s so important to get that done. That field is utterly fatal. Millions of soldiers are being killed”.
  • Trump once more demanded that all NATO members contribute 5% of their gross domestic product (GDP) to defense budgets.
  • China relations: Trump expressed his desire for a “fair relationship” with China. He claimed that his government is looking forward to “doing very well with China and getting along with China.”
  • Canada relations: “We’re going to be demanding respect from other nations”, Trump said at Davos, immediately pivoting to Canada. “Our relationship with Canada is absolutely terrible. We’re not going to have that any more. We can’t do it”. He added that if Canada “becomes a state” of the US, it might avoid tariffs.

According to Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett, Trump’s speech at Davos appeared aimed at offering reassurance.

“He’s saying, ‘ Look, what we’re going to do is we’re going to boost fossil fuels. We’re going to become a manufacturing superpower. We’re going to become the hub of artificial intelligence. We’re going to focus on deregulation. Everything is going to be different, but it’s going to be OK. I’m doing things differently, but you’re all going to benefit, as long as you do it my way, ‘” Halkett explained, while reporting from Washington.

“It’s very much a distinct, Trump way of doing business. ‘ If you do it my way, you’ll all benefit ‘ is the message he seems to be sending”, she added.

Other things you might have missed:

Trump signed a bill to grant the North Carolina Lumbee Tribe federal recognition. The state of North Carolina recognizes the tribe as a Native American tribe, but the federal government has for a long time denied full recognition.

Cryptocurrency: Trump signed a long-anticipated executive order on cryptocurrency on Thursday. It stated that “supporting the responsible growth of use of digital assets, blockchain technology, and related technologies across all sectors of the economy” would be a key policy. He and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, recently released their own meme coins. In 2021, he had referred to Bitcoin as a scam.

Anti-abortion rights activists: The president also pardoned 23 anti-abortion rights activists via a new executive order. “They should not have been prosecuted. Many of them are elderly people. They should not have been prosecuted. This is a great honor to sign”, Trump said.

In a Senate vote, Pete Hegseth’s nomination to head the Department of Defense nebulously advanced, opening the door for a close confirmation hearing that might occur in the next few days. The tally was 51-49 in the 100-member Senate. His limited management experience and numerous allegations of inappropriate behavior and excessive drinking were raised as sources of conflict.

John Ratcliffe and John Pompeo are the most popular members of the US Senate’s support for the CIA director. Ratcliffe was confirmed by the Senate with a vote of 74-25. Separately, the Trump administration removed Mike Pompeo, the former secretary of state, and Brian Hook, his top aide, from the Trump administration, who, according to a report from The Associated Press, have been threatened with Iranian threats after taking hardline positions against the country during Trump’s first term.

Source: Aljazeera

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