Trump says he’s directing the Pentagon to release files related to UFOs and aliens
President Donald Trump said Thursday he was ordering agencies to release records relating to “extraterrestrial and extraterrestrial life.”
Trump wrote on Truth Social that “based on the overwhelming interest shown,” he would direct Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and other relevant agencies “to begin the process of identifying and releasing government files related to extraterrestrial and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any other information related to these very complex, but extremely interesting and important, issues.”
Trump’s announcement comes after former President Barack Obama said during a podcast interview that aliens were real, later clarifying that he meant “chances are good there’s life there.” The former president added in his clarification that he saw “no evidence” of the existence of extraterrestrials during his tenure.
Obama was answering a series of questions during a “lightning round” of the podcast interview, when he was asked if aliens were real.
“They’re real,” Obama said, “but I haven’t seen them, and they’re not kept at Area 51. There’s no underground facility unless there’s this huge conspiracy and they’ve hidden it from the President of the United States.”
Podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen then asked Obama what the first question he wanted answered when he took office was.
“Where are the aliens?” Obama responded.
Trump, when asked by a reporter Thursday about Obama’s remarks, said Obama had given classified information.
“He’s not supposed to do that,” Trump added.
Following a hearing in 2024, the Pentagon said it had received hundreds of reports on UAP and 21 that merited “further analysis” due to “abnormal characteristics and/or behavior” – but found no evidence of extraterrestrial activity.
Responding to Trump’s directive Thursday evening, Hegseth posted a screenshot of the president’s message with an alien emoji and a greeting emoji.
Some lawmakers reacted Thursday to Trump’s announcement. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said during an interview on Fox News that “If he decides to release all of the
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., thanked Trump, writing “Looks like we’re about to have a ton of hearings on this :)!”
