President Trump on Thursday ordered his administration to start turning over government files tied to UFOs and any “alien and extraterrestrial life,” reviving a long-running public obsession that has fueled everything from serious questions to downright outlandish theories.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said he told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other agency leaders “to begin the process of identifying and releasing” any relevant records.
He also pushed for the release of “any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters.”
It is not yet clear what documents could come out, or what they might show. The Pentagon has tracked reports of what it calls unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAPs, for decades. But a 2024 report said the military has found no evidence that any government investigation has confirmed extraterrestrial life.
Trump’s move comes days after former President Barack Obama drew fresh attention to the topic by telling a podcaster that aliens are real. Obama later said he never saw proof of contact between humans and extraterrestrial life while in office, and said he believes life exists elsewhere largely because “statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there’s life out there.”
Asked Thursday about Obama’s remarks, Trump told reporters he is not sure whether aliens exist. He added that Obama “made a big mistake” and “gave classified information.”
“I may get him out of trouble by declassifying,” Mr. Trump said.
Interest in UAPs has surged in recent years as pilots and service members reported hundreds of unexplained objects, prompting lawmakers to demand deeper Pentagon reviews and answers about possible safety and national security risks.
Last year, a House Republican released a whistleblower video showing a U.S. missile striking an unidentified glowing orb and bouncing off it. In another case, a former Navy pilot described recurring sightings of strange, fast-moving objects in restricted airspace during an interview with “60 Minutes.”
The Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office says many reports can be traced to birds, balloons, drones, satellites and other ordinary sources. Still, a significant number remain unresolved.
“It is important to underscore that, to date, AARO has discovered no evidence of extraterrestrial beings, activity, or technology,” the office said in a 2024 report. The office added it has “no indication or confirmation that these activities are attributable to foreign adversaries.”
