Trump criticizes investigators for revealing use of FBI tech in search of Nancy Guthrie's pacemaker

“I didn’t like when they talked about going after the pacemaker before they even started going after it,” President Trump said

Published: February 20, 2026 8:11am

President Trump is criticizing investigators for revealing the use of FBI technology to search and find abducted Nancy Guthrie through her heart pacemaker.

Guthrie, 84, the mother of NBC's “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, has been missing since Feb. 1.

“I didn’t like when they talked about going after the pacemaker before they even started going after it,” Trump said Thursday, the New York Post reported. “If in fact they could do it that way, the person would say, ‘Well, I’m not going to let that happen’… I can’t imagine why they would have done that, just in terms of strategy,” he said.

“We have to start reporting on other subjects also and see what happens. It’s a very sad situation.”

It is unclear whether local or federal law enforcement leaked the use of the Bluetooth “sniffer,” which Fox News first reported Saturday. An FBI official later told NewsNation that “sophisticated FBI technology” was being used.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has faced criticism during the investigation, including for using a private lab in Florida to test a glove found near Guthrie’s home, rather than a potentially faster FBI lab.

“It is a common belief in this agency that this case has become an ego case for Sheriff Nanos,” said Pima County Deputies Organization President Sgt. Aaron Cross, who leads a labor union that represents employees of the sheriff’s office.

The Facts Inside Our Reporter's Notebook

Unlock unlimited access

  • No Ads Within Stories
  • No Autoplay Videos
  • VIP access to exclusive Just the News newsmaker events hosted by John Solomon and his team.
  • Support the investigative reporting and honest news presentation you've come to enjoy from Just the News.
  • Just the News Spotlight

    Support Just the News