US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would direct federal agencies to begin releasing government records related to aliens and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), citing strong public curiosity surrounding the issue.
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In a social media statement, Trump said he would instruct the Pentagon and other agencies, including Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, to make the information public, describing the matter as “extremely interesting and important.”
Earlier the same day, Trump criticised former US president Barack Obama, alleging — without presenting evidence — that Obama had improperly discussed classified information while speaking about aliens publicly. Speaking to reporters during travel to Georgia, Trump claimed Obama “made a big mistake” by referencing classified material.
Obama’s comments came during an interview with podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen, in which he said he had seen no proof of extraterrestrial contact during his presidency. He added that aliens were not being hidden at Area 51, the secretive US Air Force site long associated with conspiracy theories. Declassified CIA records released in 2013 identified the location primarily as a testing ground for advanced spy aircraft.
There has been no indication that Obama disclosed classified information, and his office did not respond to requests for comment. In a later social media post, Obama reiterated that he found no evidence of alien contact while in office, though he said the vast size of the universe made the existence of life beyond Earth statistically possible.
Trump also acknowledged that he personally had not seen proof of extraterrestrial life, stating, “I don’t know if they’re real or not.”
In recent years, the Pentagon has conducted multiple investigations into UFO sightings. US military officials said in 2022 that there was no evidence suggesting extraterrestrials had visited Earth or that alien spacecraft had crash-landed.
A 2024 Pentagon report similarly concluded that government investigations dating back to the end of World War II found no proof of extraterrestrial technology, with most sightings attributed to misidentified objects or natural phenomena.
According to the National Archives and Records Administration, records related to UFO investigations exist across several historical collections and may be included in future disclosures.
