Scoop: FBI chief ready to head to Tucson as Trump pledges help to find Guthrie's mom
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FBI Director Kash Patel and President Trump at the White House in October. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
FBI Director Kash Patel is planning a trip to Tucson, Arizona, as President Trump deploys federal resources to find "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie's mother, two sources tell Axios.
The big picture: Trump said on Truth Social he'd spoken with Guthrie, whose mother went missing from her home outside Tucson over the weekend in what law enforcement called "suspicious" circumstances, and was "directing ALL Federal Law Enforcement to be at the family's, and Local Law Enforcement's, complete disposal, IMMEDIATELY."
- Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has known Guthrie for more than 25 years, also spoke with her on the phone Wednesday and is receiving constant updates on the case, Axios has learned.
- Patel, who was already heading to Tucson for another engagement, is "devoting all resources possible to help and is prepared to go if the situation warrants," a source familiar with the matter said.
- Arizona officials are still leading the investigation and the FBI remains in a supportive role to the state, the source said.
Zoom in: Nancy Guthrie was last seen Saturday night at her Catalina Foothills home and investigators believe the 84-year-old was taken from her home in a "possible kidnapping or abduction," the Pima County Sheriff's Department told local media.
- Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told CBS News investigators were looking into a potential ransom note sent to a local TV station.
- The president's pledge to deploy all resources to get Guthrie's mother home safely came as the "Today" show co-host and her siblings released an Instagram video appealing for their mother's safe return.
What they're saying: "She's 84 years old. Her health, her heart, is fragile. She lives in constant pain. She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive, and she needs it not to suffer," Guthrie said.
- "We, too, have heard the reports about a ransom letter in the media. As a family, we are doing everything that we can. We are ready to talk," she added.
- "However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen."
Editor's note: The story and headline have been corrected to note that FBI Director Kash Patel is planning to visit Tucson (not already heading there).
