Overview
- Trump said on Truth Social that he directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other agencies to identify and prepare government records on aliens, UAPs and UFOs for public release.
- The announcement did not include a defined scope or timeline for declassification or publication.
- Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump alleged Barack Obama disclosed secret information and called it a “big mistake,” while saying he does not know whether aliens are real.
- Obama had said in a podcast that aliens are “real” but that he had not seen them, then clarified on Instagram that he saw no evidence of alien contact as president and was speaking about statistical likelihood.
- The Pentagon and NASA say there is no verifiable evidence of extraterrestrial activity or technology, and the move comes after years of increased congressional attention to UAPs since 2023.