Trump Orders FBI to Launch Urgent Search for Amelia Earhart Files

A Presidential Directive to Reopen a 90-Year Mystery

President Donald Trump has ordered the FBI to urgently search for records related to Amelia Earhart, the pioneering aviator who vanished during her 1937 attempt to circumnavigate the globe. The directive, marked “high importance,” was sent to field offices in Washington, D.C., and New York, reportedly giving agents less than 24 hours to comply. Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Order and Its Scope

“Per a priority request from the Executive Office of the President of the United States, please search any areas where papers or physical media records may be stored, to include both open or closed cases, for records responsive to Amelia Earhart,” the message read, according to CNN. Agents were instructed to report findings by Wednesday, amid an ongoing government shutdown. PD-US / Wikimedia

Trump’s Renewed Interest in the Earhart Case

The directive follows Trump’s recent Truth Social post announcing that his administration would “declassify and release all Government Records related to Amelia Earhart, her final trip, and everything else about her.” He added, “Her disappearance, almost 90 years ago, has captivated millions.” The White House / Wikimedia

The Enduring Mystery of Amelia Earhart

Earhart disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in July 1937 while attempting to become the first woman to fly around the world. After a 16-day search, she and her navigator, Fred Noonan, were declared lost at sea. Her life and disappearance have inspired countless investigations and conspiracy theories for nearly a century. Smithsonian Institution / Wikimedia

Theories and Speculation

Theories about Earhart’s fate range from espionage claims—that she was secretly working for the U.S. government to monitor Japanese military activity—to more far-fetched suggestions that she survived under an assumed identity in New Jersey. Most experts, however, believe her plane ran out of fuel and crashed into the ocean. Harris & Ewing / Wikimedia

A Familiar Pattern for Trump

This is not the first time Trump has ordered declassification of high-profile historical files. In 2017, he directed the release of partial records on President John F. Kennedy’s assassination during a period of intense scrutiny over his firing of FBI Director James Comey. Earlier this year, Trump also ordered the release of files related to the deaths of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. Bachrach Studios / Wikimedia

Political Context and Timing

The move comes as Trump faces multiple domestic crises, including a federal government shutdown and renewed public attention to the Epstein case. Critics have noted that his administration has previously turned to such declassification efforts amid periods of controversy or political strain. The White House / Wikimedia

Earhart’s Lasting Cultural Impact

Amelia Earhart remains an enduring American icon. Born in 1897 in Atchison, Kansas, she was the first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic and one of the earliest women to receive a pilot’s license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Her story continues to fascinate both historians and the public nearly a century later. Underwood and Underwood / Wikimedia

A Mystery That Still Captures the Imagination

Whether Trump’s order will shed new light on Earhart’s disappearance—or simply reignite decades of speculation—remains to be seen. What’s clear is that nearly 90 years later, her story continues to captivate the American imagination. Luciaroblego, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons