U.S. President Donald Trump has announced his directives to federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, to begin identifying and releasing government files related to aliens and extraterrestrial life.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he would instruct the Secretary of War and other relevant departments 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), and any other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters.
“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), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters. GOD BLESS AMERICA!” Trump wrote.
The announcement came hours after Trump criticised former President Barack Obama over remarks reportedly made during a recent podcast interview.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump accused Obama of revealing classified information after the former president said “aliens are real” during an appearance on a podcast hosted by Brian Tyler Cohen.
“He’s not supposed to be doing that,” the BBC quoted Trump as saying. “He made a big mistake.”
When asked whether he personally believes in the existence of extraterrestrial life, Trump responded cautiously, “Well, I don’t know if they’re real or not.”
He added that although many people believe aliens exist, he does not often discuss the subject and “doesn’t have an opinion on it.”
Obama’s original comments were made during a rapid-fire “lightning round” segment of the podcast released last Saturday.
“They’re real, but I haven’t seen them, and they’re not being kept in Area 51,” Obama said.
He also dismissed the notion of a secret underground facility, saying there was no evidence of a hidden conspiracy withheld from the president.
Following widespread media coverage of his remarks, Obama clarified his position in a post on Instagram.
The former president, who served from 2009 to 2017, said he believes it is statistically plausible that life exists elsewhere in the universe due to its vastness, but stressed, “I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!”
There has been no indication that Obama relied on classified information in making his comments.
Trump and Obama have long been political rivals, representing the Republican and Democratic parties, respectively.
Interest in unidentified aerial phenomena has grown in recent years.
In 2024, the Pentagon released a report stating there was “no evidence” that the U.S. government had encountered alien life, and concluded that most reported UFO sightings were attributable to ordinary objects or misidentified phenomena.
In 2023, the U.S. House of Representatives held a hearing on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), the term now commonly used in official settings instead of UFOs.
The session, however, produced no definitive proof of extraterrestrial life.
