'It's a Terrible Thing': Donald Trump Speaks Out About Nancy Guthrie's Case Amid Sheriff Criticism

President Donald Trump has once again weighed in on the Nancy Guthrie missing person investigation. He acknowledged growing public frustration and media criticism directed at Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos and local authorities.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, August 2, Trump addressed a highly critical report published by The Wall Street Journal.

The report detailed investigative missteps, friction between agencies and allegations that local investigators "brushed off" critical evidence.

The WSJ claimed the sheriff’s department “failed to seal off the property with police tape to protect sensitive crime-scene evidence, allowing reporters, livestreamers, and Amazon and pizza delivery drivers entry to the porch.”

Trump noted that "some people haven't liked the way the local community is running it. They haven't liked the way the sheriff's run it."

He called the baffling disappearance a "terrible thing" and a "very unusual situation."

Despite the criticism, Trump extended support to local authorities. He stated, “But we would like to give them the benefit of the doubt. We're there anytime they need us as well.”

He confirmed that the FBI remains "involved to an extent," though the primary jurisdiction still belongs to the local community.

“They [Pima County Sheriff’s Department] didn’t want to let go of it, which is fine. It’s up to them. It’s really up to the communities,” Trump said during a February White House press conference. “But ultimately, when the FBI got involved, I think, you know, progress has been made.”

84-year-old Nancy — the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie — was assumably taken from her Tucson, Ariz., home on February 1.

Six months into the investigation, no suspects have been named. Nanos has adamantly defended his department's actions against political and media scrutiny.

Speaking on "The Sharpe Exchange" podcast, Nanos pushed back against claims of poor coordination, calling critics "misinformed" and asserting that federal agents have been working side by side with local police from day one.

Nanos confirmed the investigation remains "very active" with tens of thousands of incoming tips.

He reassured the public that local authorities are "not going away" and that he is "positive" the case will be solved.

Trump's renewed remarks coincided with a poignant statement from Savannah, who marked the six-month milestone of her mother's disappearance by describing the family's ongoing "agony and despair."

A $1.2 million reward remains active for actionable information leading to Nancy.

“We have lived every moment, every breath, and every heartbeat in agony and despair ever since. Every day, we wake up and try to be strong and go on because that’s what our joyful and resilient mom taught us to do, but make no mistake — our hearts are in ruins,” Savannah said on Instagram on Saturday, August 1.

She continued, “We are begging for help. We are desperate. We need someone to come forward. Someone knows something. Someone suspects something. Someone recognizes the writing in the ransom demand notes. Someone has noticed something different, strange, troubling, or just unusual — perhaps with someone they deeply love. Perhaps they are afraid to come forward. Perhaps they are conflicted. Perhaps they are angry or upset for being in this situation. There is a way out — to tell what you know.”

Savannah’s plea came after the Pima County Sheriff's Department released the full contents of two ransom notes revealing a sharp shift from aggressive demands to an apologetic claim of Nancy’s death.

“I mean, Savannah’s gone through a rough — that family’s gone through h-ll. I hope they find her,” the POTUS said on June 23.