Donald Trump has directed US government agencies, including the Department of Defense, to begin preparing for the release of files relating to aliens, extraterrestrial life and unidentified aerial phenomena, following renewed public debate sparked by comments from former President Barack Obama.
In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump said that “based on the tremendous interest shown” he would seek the release of files “related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters”.
Earlier in the day, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump accused Obama of disclosing classified information during a podcast appearance.
“He’s not supposed to be doing that,” Trump said. “He made a big mistake.”
When asked whether he personally believes aliens are real, Trump replied: “Well, I don’t know if they’re real or not.”
He added later that while many people believe in the existence of aliens, he does not often discuss the topic and “doesn’t have an opinion on it”.
The row follows an interview Obama gave to podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen, released last Saturday, during which he said: “They’re real, but I haven’t seen them, and they’re not being kept in Area 51.”
He continued: “There’s no underground facility unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States.”
After his remarks made headlines, Obama clarified his position in a follow-up post on Instagram.
“I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!” he wrote.
Obama, who served as president between 2009 and 2017, later indicated that he was referring to the statistical likelihood of life existing elsewhere in the universe, given its vast scale. There has been no indication that he relied on classified information in making his comments.
Public interest in UFOs and extraterrestrial life has grown in recent years. In 2017, reports revealed a previously undisclosed Pentagon programme established to investigate sightings reported by US military pilots and personnel.
In 2022, Congress held its first public hearings on UFOs in 50 years, after which the Pentagon pledged greater transparency and created a dedicated office to collect and analyse reports of military encounters with unidentified aerial phenomena.
A US House of Representatives panel examining the issue in 2023 produced no major revelations or confirmation of alien life. In a 2024 report, the Pentagon said there was “no evidence” that the US government had encountered extraterrestrial beings, adding that most reported UFO sightings involved ordinary objects.
Trump’s latest directive signals a fresh attempt to declassify government records on the subject, amid sustained political and public fascination with the possibility of life beyond Earth.
Boluwatife Enome
Follow us on:
