Trump to Declassify Amelia Earhart Files, Prompting Debate Over Timing

President Donald Trump on Friday announced that all government records related to Amelia Earhart will be declassified, nearly a century after the pioneering aviator vanished during an attempt to fly around the world in 1937. In a post on Truth Social, Trump highlighted Earhart’s achievements, noting that she was 'the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, and achieved many other aviation firsts.' He said he was 'ordering my Administration to declassify and release all Government Records related to Amelia Earhart, her final trip, and everything else about her.'

Reaction on social media was swift and divided. Some users questioned why Earhart would be the focus for declassification now, while others pointed to Jeffrey Epstein as a more pressing figure for public records. One post cited Epstein as the more relevant target, while critics suggested the move could be a political distraction. The HuffPost article notes the debate, highlighting questions about whether new Earhart documents exist and what purpose the release would serve.

Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, disappeared in 1937 while flying from New Guinea to Howland Island. They radioed that they were low on fuel; a U.S. Navy search failed to locate them, and the government later concluded the aircraft likely went down. The disappearance has spawned decades of speculation about what happened, according to The Associated Press, with theories ranging from extraterrestrial involvement to alternate identities on the U.S. East Coast. Among the rumors cited over the years are, at times, that they were abducted by aliens, living in New Jersey under an alias, or were killed in a distant locale where their remains were consumed by coconut crabs.

Officials did not immediately outline which records will be released or a timeline for declassification, and there was no immediate comment from the White House on specifics. The move comes as part of a broader, bipartisan conversation about declassification and transparency in U.S. governance, with lawmakers and watchdog groups watching closely to see how the Earhart materials are handled and what, if any, new light they shed on a century-old mystery.

The Earhart episode remains part of a long-running public fascination with the aviation pioneer and her companion. The administration’s decision to pursue declassification, even as questions about timing and motive persist, underscores how historical cases can intersect with contemporary political debates. The aviation history surrounding Earhart’s disappearance continues to be the subject of inquiry and speculation, but the current moment frames it within a broader discussion of what government records should be made public and when.