U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing at the White House, on the one-year mark into his second term in office, in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 20, 2026. REUTERS/Jessica Koscielniak
(Washington, DC) – President Donald Trump is warning the abductors of Nancy Guthrie that they will face the “most severe” federal penalties if she is not returned unharmed.
In a phone interview with the New York Post on Monday, Trump said that if the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie is killed, he would ask the Justice Department to pursue the death penalty.
“They will face very, very severe — the most severe — federal consequences,” Trump said.
Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on February 1. The following day, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department classified her disappearance as a crime after investigators uncovered what they described as “concerning” evidence at her Arizona home.
The FBI has since increased its reward from $50,000 to $100,000 for information leading to her whereabouts. Authorities also released new details about a suspected individual seen on a doorbell camera attempting to break into Guthrie’s home.
According to the FBI’s Phoenix field office, the suspect is described as a male approximately 5’9” to 5’10” tall with an average build. In the footage, he is seen wearing a black 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack.
As the search enters its third week, investigators are analyzing DNA recovered from gloves found at Guthrie’s home and in the surrounding neighborhood. Authorities are also collecting DNA samples from family members and others who had access to the residence.
On Friday night, law enforcement conducted a search of a home roughly two miles from Guthrie’s property. No arrests have been made.
The investigation remains ongoing.
