Six months after the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, the investigation remains under intense public scrutiny. Now, President Donald Trump has entered the conversation, saying he still believes investigators deserve the “benefit of the doubt” despite growing criticism of how the case has been handled.
Trump made the remarks while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One after questions surfaced about a report alleging serious investigative missteps by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department during the crucial early days of the case. According to the report, authorities allegedly failed to properly secure the crime scene, overlooked important evidence, and delayed the use of aerial search resources.
Despite those allegations, Trump said he wants to give Sheriff Chris Nanos and his department the opportunity to complete their work before drawing conclusions.
“I give them the benefit of the doubt,” the president said, while acknowledging that the investigation has drawn significant public concern.
Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Arizona home on Feb. 1, 2026, in what investigators believe was a kidnapping. Since then, authorities have received cryptocurrency ransom demands and messages claiming she died after the abduction, but no arrests have been made and her whereabouts remain unknown.
The case has become one of America’s most closely watched missing-person investigations, with Savannah Guthrie repeatedly pleading for information and urging anyone with knowledge of her mother’s disappearance to come forward.
As investigators continue pursuing leads, the unanswered questions surrounding Nancy Guthrie’s fate remain—and so does the growing debate over whether critical mistakes early in the investigation may have affected the search for answers.
