U.S. President Donald Trump has directed federal agencies to begin identifying and releasing government documents related to UFOs, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and extraterrestrial life — an issue that has long fascinated many Americans.
In a post on his Truth Social platform Thursday, Trump said he would instruct the Secretary of War and other relevant departments to start the process of reviewing and disclosing files connected to alien life, UAPs, and UFOs. He stated that the review should cover “any and all” related information tied to what he described as complex but significant matters.
Trump did not clarify whether classified materials would be made public.
Earlier the same day, he accused former President Barack Obama of revealing classified information during a recent podcast appearance in which Obama discussed extraterrestrial life. In the interview, Obama joked that while UFOs are real, they are not being hidden at Area 51, the secretive U.S. military base often linked to conspiracy theories. He added that unless there were a massive conspiracy, such information would not be concealed from a sitting president.
Responding to those remarks, Trump claimed Obama had made a mistake by allegedly sharing classified details, though he did not specify what information he believed was sensitive.
When asked about his own views on extraterrestrials, Trump said he was uncertain whether alien life exists.
Despite decades of speculation, there is no confirmed evidence of intelligent life beyond Earth. However, public interest in UFOs and UAPs has surged in recent years as the U.S. government investigates reports of unexplained aerial sightings, partly due to concerns that foreign adversaries may be testing advanced technology.
In March 2024, the Pentagon released a report concluding that it had found no evidence linking UAPs to alien technology. Many reported sightings were attributed to ordinary objects such as weather balloons, satellites, drones, or surveillance aircraft.
