Trump orders Earhart records declassified; Smithsonian expert reacts
President Donald Trump publicly announced via social media that he has ordered the declassification and release of all U.S. government records related to Amelia Earhart’s final flight, prompting historians and institutional experts to weigh in. Dorothy Cochrane, the National Air and Space Museum’s Earhart expert, told Fox News Digital she believes 'there’s no real mystery'—saying radio failures and the challenge of locating tiny Howland Island explain Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan running out of fuel—while the article notes FOX could not reach the National Archives because of an ongoing government shutdown.
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📌 Key Facts
- President Trump announced (via Truth Social) he ordered the declassification and release of government records related to Amelia Earhart and her final trip
- Dorothy Cochrane, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Earhart expert, is quoted saying Earhart and Fred Noonan were on course but radio issues and the tiny Howland Island explain the loss of contact and fuel exhaustion
- Fox News Digital reported it could not reach the National Archives to confirm whether any files are sealed, citing the federal government shutdown