Overview

• President Trump announced the directive Friday on Truth Social, citing widespread interest in the aviator’s final 1937 flight.
• It remains unclear whether any classified Earhart files exist beyond materials previously released by the FBI and National Archives, including records that rejected espionage claims.
• The move follows a July request from Northern Mariana Islands Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds, who cited constituent recollections linked to Saipan.
• The timing is drawing attention as lawmakers press for broader disclosure of Jeffrey Epstein–related files, with a bipartisan push to force a House vote once a new member is sworn in.
• A U.S. government report long concluded Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan likely ran out of fuel and crashed near Howland Island, and no definitive wreckage has ever been confirmed.