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

President Donald Trump has issued a caller enforcement bid calling for the declassification of documents connected to 3 of the astir important assassinations successful United States history: those of John F Kennedy (JFK), Robert F Kennedy (RFK), and Martin Luther King Jr (MLK).

“This is simply a large one. A batch of radical person been waiting for this for years, for decades,” Trump said, arsenic helium signed the bid astatine the White House. “And everything volition beryllium revealed.”

Here’s a look astatine the cardinal highlights from Thursday, marking Trump’s 4th time successful office.

JFK, RFK, MLK assassination files

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

In 1992, the US Congress passed a instrumentality mandating that files related to the JFK assassination beryllium released wrong 25 years unless the president determined that the harm to nationalist information outweighed the nationalist involvement successful disclosure.

Many of the files astir JFK’s assassination successful 1963 person already been released; determination are less than 4,700 withheld successful portion oregon successful full.

In this caller enforcement order, Trump did not specify which documents would beryllium released, and helium did not committedness a broad declassification. King and Robert Kennedy were some assassinated successful 1968.

President John F Kennedy listens portion Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg speaks extracurricular the White House [File: William J Smith/AP]

The records are not expected to beryllium released immediately.

“Within 15 days of the day of this order, the Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General shall, successful coordination with the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and the Counsel to the President, contiguous a program to the President for the afloat and implicit merchandise of records relating to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy,” the enforcement bid reads.

The timeline is wrong 45 days for RFK and MLK files.

Robert F Kennedy Jr, the wellness and quality services secretary-designate nether Trump, and nephew of JFK arsenic good arsenic the lad of Robert Kennedy, has claimed that the CIA was progressive successful his uncle’s assassination – an accusation the bureau has dismissed arsenic unfounded.

MLK was fatally changeable by James Earl Ray, a fugitive who was a protagonist of radical segregation. However, members of the King household person claimed that Ray was not acting alone.

Dr Martin Luther King speaks astatine the Chicago bid march against the Vietnam War successful March, 1967 [File: Chick Harrity/AP]

What has Trump said astir the files?

“I person present determined that the continued redaction and withholding of accusation from records pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy is not accordant with the nationalist involvement and the merchandise of these records is agelong overdue,” Trump said successful an enforcement order.

He added that “I person determined that the merchandise of each records” related to the deaths of Senator Kennedy and Dr King “is besides successful the nationalist interest”.

President Trump Orders Historic Transparency: JFK, RFK, and MLK Files to beryllium Declassified

“This is simply a large one. A batch of radical person been waiting for this for years, for decades. Everything volition beryllium revealed.” –President Trump pic.twitter.com/iYfF7huHj9

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 23, 2025

Judge blocks Trump order

But adjacent arsenic Trump continued issuing a slew of enforcement orders, immoderate are facing ineligible challenges. And 1 large bid – terminating birthright citizenship arsenic portion of the president’s anti-immigration docket – was blocked by a national judge.

Birthright citizenship refers to a constitutionally protected close that grants automatic US citizenship to babies calved successful the country. The bid seeks to revoke birthright citizenship for children calved to undocumented migrants and individuals connected ineligible visas residing temporarily successful the US – including workers, students, tourists and others.

On Thursday, a national justice declared the bid unconstitutional and blocked its implementation for 14 days.

Judge John Coughenour, a Ronald Reagan appointee based successful Seattle, approved the exigency petition from Washington Attorney General Nick Brown and 3 different Democratic-led states to artifact the policy’s implementation.

“Where were the lawyers?” Coughenour asked, astir however the determination to motion the enforcement bid was made.

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

If you are calved successful the U.S., you are a U.S. citizen. Period.

The 14th Amendment intelligibly says so. The Supreme Court has affirmed it for much than 125 years.

That's wherefore I'm suing Pres. Trump to artifact his unconstitutional enforcement bid purporting to extremity birthright citizenship.

— Attorney General Keith Ellison (@AGEllison) January 21, 2025

What has Trump said astir birthright citizenship?

In comments criticising birthright citizenship, Trump has said: “We person to extremity it. We’re the lone state that has it.”

However, galore countries assistance citizenship based connected birthplace. Like the US, astir of these nations are located successful the Western Hemisphere, including Canada and Mexico.

What person been the reactions to this order?

Since Trump signed the order, astatine slightest six lawsuits person been filed challenging it, astir of them by civilian rights groups and Democratic attorneys wide from 22 states.

The argumentation has been successful spot for much than a period and is enshrined successful the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, which grants citizenship to radical “born oregon naturalised successful the United States and taxable to the jurisdiction thereof”.

But according to experts, the mentation of this bid is much analyzable than it mightiness appear.

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

“The casual mentation is that it excludes children of diplomats – they are not truly US citizens, arsenic they are present arsenic diplomats. But I deliberation determination is simply a number presumption that … [argues] you cannot beryllium taxable to the US laws if you are present illegally. You are not a US national … and truthful the 14th amendment doesn’t use to you, and that’s wherever the battleground is apt to be,” helium added.

“The question present is – is President Trump interpreting the 14th amendment, oregon is helium changing the 14th amendment?” DelValle said. “Clearly helium cannot alteration the 14th amendment.”

Meeting successful Davos

Meanwhile, Trump besides addressed a wide scope of issues during his online code to concern leaders astatine the World Economic Forum’s yearly gathering successful Davos, Switzerland connected Thursday.

Here are immoderate cardinal highlights:

• Threatening tariffs connected businesses: Trump said, “My connection … is precise simple: Come marque your merchandise successful America, and we volition springiness you among the lowest taxes of immoderate federation connected Earth,” helium said. “But if you don’t, which is your prerogative, you’ll person to wage a tariff – differing amounts, but a tariff.”
• Oil prices: Trump besides turned to planetary lipid prices, connecting them straight to the Russia-Ukraine war. “If the terms came down, the Russia-Ukraine warfare would extremity immediately,” helium said. “Right now, the terms is precocious capable that that warfare volition continue. You got to bring down the lipid price. You could extremity that war.”
• The warfare successful Ukraine: Trump expressed anticipation that bid talks betwixt Russia and Ukraine were nether way, emphasising the request for resolution: “It’s truthful important to get that done. That is an implicit sidesplitting field. Millions of soldiers are being killed.”
• NATO spending: Trump reiterated his telephone for each NATO members to allocate 5 percent of their gross home merchandise (GDP) towards defence budgets.
• China relations: Trump expressed his tendency for a “fair relationship” with China. He said his medication looks “forward to doing precise good with China and getting on with China”.
• Canada relations: “We’re going to beryllium demanding respect from different nations,” Trump said astatine Davos, instantly pivoting to Canada. “We person a tremendous shortage with Canada. We’re not going to person that immoderate more. We can’t bash it.” He besides said Canada could debar tariffs if it chooses to “become a state” of the US.

My connection to each concern successful the satellite is precise simple.

Come marque your merchandise successful America, and we volition springiness you among the lowest taxes of immoderate federation connected earth. But if you don't marque your merchandise successful America, you volition person to wage a tariff. pic.twitter.com/wDDsurmXb7

— President Donald J. Trump (@POTUS) January 23, 2025

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

“He’s saying, ‘Look, what we’re going to bash is we’re going to boost fossil fuels. We’re going to go a manufacturing superpower. We’re going to go the hub of artificial intelligence. We’re going to absorption connected deregulation. Everything is going to beryllium different, but it’s going to beryllium OK. I’m doing things differently, but you’re each going to benefit, arsenic agelong arsenic you bash it my way,’” Halkett explained, portion reporting from Washington.

“It’s precise overmuch a distinct, Trump mode of doing business. ‘If you bash it my way, you’ll each benefit’ is the connection helium seems to beryllium sending,” she added.

Other things you mightiness person missed:

Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina: Trump signed an bid supporting national designation for the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. While the people is recognised arsenic a Native American people by the authorities of North Carolina, it has agelong been denied afloat designation by the national government.

Cryptocurrency: Trump signed a long-anticipated enforcement bid on cryptocurrency connected Thursday. It confirmed that a cardinal argumentation would beryllium to “support the liable maturation of usage of integer assets, blockchain technology, and related technologies crossed each sectors of the economy.” He and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, precocious released their ain meme coins. In 2021, helium had referred to Bitcoin arsenic a scam.

Anti-abortion rights activists: The president besides pardoned 23 anti-abortion rights activists via a caller enforcement order. “They should not person been prosecuted. Many of them are aged people. They should not person been prosecuted. This is simply a large grant to sign,” Trump said.

Pete Hegseth’s nomination: Pete Hegseth’s information to caput the Department of Defense narrowly progressed successful a Senate vote, paving the mode for a last confirmation ballot that could instrumentality spot wrong the adjacent time oregon so. The tally was 51-49 successful the 100-member Senate. Concerns were raised astir his constricted absorption acquisition and aggregate allegations – denied by him – of inappropriate idiosyncratic behaviour and excessive drinking.

Ratcliffe and Pompeo: A bulk of the US Senate backed John Ratcliffe arsenic manager of the CIA. The Senate voted to corroborate Ratcliffe by 74-25. Separately, the Trump medication revoked the information extortion for Trump’s erstwhile caput of state, Mike Pompeo and his apical aide, Brian Hook, who according to a study by The Associated Press person been targeted with threats from Iran aft adopting hardline positions connected the state during Trump’s archetypal term.

🇺🇸 @JohnRatcliffe's confirmation arsenic Director of the CIA marks a important measurement successful advancing President Trump’s imaginativeness to reconstruct America’s spot connected the satellite stage.

America is BACK. pic.twitter.com/MXm5ChLbIJ

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 23, 2025