Trump directs government to release long-held files

President Donald Trump is once again wading into one of America’s most enduring mysteries.

After days of renewed attention around extraterrestrial life, the president announced Thursday that he plans to direct federal agencies to begin releasing government records related to aliens and unidentified flying objects. The move, he said, is driven by what he described as strong public interest in the topic.

“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

It is not yet clear what those records contain or when they could be made public. The National Archives and Records Administration has long indicated that it holds UFO-related materials across multiple collections, and the Pentagon has spent years reviewing sightings and reports tied to what it now calls unidentified anomalous phenomena.

Trump’s announcement followed pointed criticism of former President Barack Obama, who recently ignited headlines during an appearance on the podcast hosted by Brian Tyler Cohen. Asked whether aliens are real, Obama replied, “They’re real but I haven’t seen them.”

© Maxar

Pressed further during the interview, Obama added, “They’re real, but I haven’t seen them, and they’re not being kept in Area 51. There’s no underground facility unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States.”

Area 51, the classified Air Force facility in Nevada long associated with conspiracy theories, has for decades fueled speculation about alien bodies and crashed spacecraft. CIA archives released in 2013 identified it as a testing site for top-secret spy planes.

After his podcast remarks made waves, Obama sought to clarify his position on Instagram. “I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!” he wrote.

© The Washington Post

He explained that his comments referred to the statistical likelihood of life existing elsewhere in the universe, given its vastness, while emphasizing that the probability of aliens visiting Earth remains low due to immense interstellar distances.

There has been no indication that Obama disclosed classified material in the interview. Still, Trump sharply criticized his predecessor while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One.

“Well, I don’t know if they’re real or not. I can tell you he gave classified information. He’s not supposed to be doing that. He made a big mistake,” Trump said. On another occasion, he reiterated, “He took it out of classified information … He’s not supposed to be doing that.”

© Kevin Dietsch

At the same time, Trump made clear he does not claim personal knowledge of extraterrestrial life. “Well, I don’t know if they’re real or not,” he said when asked directly. In separate remarks, he added that he does not have an opinion on the matter.

Public fascination with UFOs has surged in recent years, fueled in part by government disclosures and congressional hearings. In 2022, Congress held its first public hearings on UFOs in half a century.

A year later, a House panel examined military testimony warning that unexplained sightings could pose national security concerns, though no definitive evidence of alien life emerged.

© Ignatiev

The Pentagon has expanded its investigative efforts through the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, working alongside the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

As of 2024, officials reported receiving 1,652 UAP sightings. While some cases remain unresolved, many have been attributed to balloons, drones, birds, weather phenomena, or airborne debris such as plastic bags.

A 2024 Pentagon report stated there was “no evidence” that the US government had encountered extraterrestrial technology or alien life. Senior defense officials have consistently said that investigations dating back to the end of World War Two have not uncovered proof of aliens visiting Earth.

For now, Trump’s directive signals a new chapter in Washington’s long-running dance with the unknown. Whether the forthcoming files will satisfy believers or further deepen the mystery remains to be seen.