Trump Orders Release of All Records Related to Mystery Disappearance of Amelia Earhart

President Donald J. Trump on Friday announced that he will order the declassification of government records connected to one of America’s greatest aviation mysteries — the disappearance of trailblazing pilot Amelia Earhart.

“I have been asked by many people about the life and times of Amelia Earhart, such an interesting story, and would I consider declassifying and releasing everything about her, in particular, her last, fatal flight!” Trump posted on Truth Social.

“She was an Aviation Pioneer, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, and achieved many other Aviation ‘firsts,’” he continued. “She disappeared in the South Pacific while trying to become the first woman to fly around the World.

“Amelia made it almost three quarters around the World before she suddenly, and without notice, vanished, never to be seen again. Her disappearance, almost 90 years ago, has captivated millions. I am ordering my Administration to declassify and release all Government Records related to Amelia Earhart, her final trip, and everything else about her.”

The National Air and Space Museum notes Earhart “was the second person to fly solo and nonstop across the Atlantic and the first woman to fly solo and nonstop across the United States.” Her skill, the museum adds, catapulted her to international fame.

Earhart’s story is both inspiring and tragic. After working as a Red Cross nurse’s aid in Toronto, she attended her first air show in 1918. By December 1920, she was in the cockpit herself, taking a flight with veteran aviator Frank Hawks. “As soon as I left the ground, I knew I myself had to fly,” she later recalled.

She trained under Anita “Neta” Snook, supporting her passion for aviation by working jobs as a telephone clerk and photographer. Earhart soloed in 1921, purchased her first plane — a Kinner Airster — and by 1922 had already set the women’s altitude record at 14,000 feet.

The following year, she became just the 16th woman in the world to receive an official Fédération Aéronautique Internationale pilot’s license. From there, she shattered records and broke barriers. In 1928, Earhart made history as the first woman to cross the Atlantic — albeit as a passenger. Four years later, she flew solo and nonstop across the ocean, joining Charles Lindbergh as one of only two people ever to accomplish the feat at the time.

She became a household name, set new standards for distance and speed, and used her fame to advocate for women in aviation, co-founding the Ninety-Nines — a pioneering organization of female pilots.

But on July 2, 1937, her ambition met with tragedy. Attempting to circumnavigate the globe in a Lockheed Electra with navigator Fred Noonan, she vanished after a final radio contact near Howland Island in the Pacific. Despite massive search efforts, no wreckage or remains were found.

Her disappearance has fueled speculation for decades. The dominant theory is that she ran out of fuel and crashed at sea. Other theories range from survival on a remote island to capture during the fraught geopolitical tensions of the late 1930s. None have ever been proven.

Nearly a century later, President Trump is reopening the files. For many Americans, the move represents not just a search for historical truth, but also a continuation of Trump’s commitment to transparency — tearing down unnecessary secrecy and letting the people judge for themselves.

Earhart’s story remains larger than life — a tale of courage, grit, and the pursuit of greatness that defined America’s spirit in the early 20th century.