President Trump on Friday evening said he will order the release of all government records related to aviator Amelia Earhart and her “last, fatal flight.”
“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!” He wrote on Truth Social.
“I am ordering my Administration to declassify and release all Government Records related to Amelia Earhart, her final trip, and everything else about her,” Trump continued. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Earhart made history as the first female pilot to fly across the Atlantic ocean in 1932. Five years later, she attempted to fly across the Pacific ocean to become the first woman to circumnavigate the globe by aircraft.
Earhart disappeared during her trip across the Pacific, sparking a massive two-week search for her and her navigator. The pair were never found, leading several scholars to theorize that they had crashed.
But numerous theories behind her disappearance persist, including that Earhart was taken prisoner by the Japanese or that she was a spy.
Trump praised Earhart, calling her an “Aviation Pioneer” who had “achieved many other Aviation ‘firsts.’”
“Amelia made it almost three quarters around the World before she suddenly, and without notice, vanished, never to be seen again,” Trump wrote in his Truth Social post. “Her disappearance, almost 90 years ago, has captivated millions.”
Trump had made it a mission to open up files that might lead to answers related to various conspiracy theories.
Perhaps most notably, he has previously ordered the declassification of government files, including the John F. Kennedy assassination records.
He also requested the Justice Department release grand jury transcripts in the case of convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein – a move that came after pressure from his supporter base to release files from the Epstein case.
But following increased public scrutiny about his relationship with Epstein, Trump has expressed frustration with continued questions surrounding the release of records related to Epstein.
He called requests for the release of more Epstein files a “Democrat hoax that never ends,” adding it reminded him “a little of the Kennedy situation.”
“We gave them everything over and over again, more, and more and more,” Trump said. “And nobody is ever satisfied. From what I understand, thousands of pages of documents have been given.”