Trump Orders Review and Release of Government Files on UFOs and Extraterrestrial Life
U.S. President Donald Trump has directed federal agencies to begin identifying and releasing government documents related to unidentified flying objects (UFOs), unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and extraterrestrial life.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, Trump said the move was driven by longstanding public interest in the subject.
“Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs),” he wrote.
While the president did not clarify whether classified materials would be made fully public, he stated that the review should encompass “any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters.”
Earlier in the day, Trump alleged that former President Barack Obama had disclosed “classified” information during a recent viral podcast appearance in which he addressed speculation about extraterrestrial life.
Speaking with host Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama remarked, “They’re real, but I haven’t seen them and they’re not being kept in… Area 51,” referencing Area 51, the secretive U.S. military installation in Nevada long associated with UFO conspiracy theories.
He added, “There’s no underground facility. Unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States.”
Responding to the comments, Trump told reporters that Obama had “given classified information” and “made a big mistake,” though he did not specify which part of the remarks he considered classified.
When asked about his own views on extraterrestrial life, Trump said, “I don’t know if they are real or not.”
Despite decades of speculation, no verified evidence of intelligent life beyond Earth has been produced. However, public and governmental interest in UFOs—now commonly referred to as UAP—has intensified in recent years, particularly amid concerns that some unexplained sightings could involve advanced technologies developed by foreign adversaries.
In March 2024, the United States Department of Defense released a report concluding that it had found no evidence that UAP sightings were linked to alien technology.
The report determined that many incidents were attributable to conventional explanations, including weather balloons, surveillance aircraft, satellites, and other routine aerial activity.
Trump’s directive is likely to reignite debate over government transparency on the issue, as advocates continue to press for broader disclosure of official records related to unexplained aerial phenomena.
