Trump Orders Release of Government UFO, Alien Files
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Trump directed US agencies including the defense department to 'begin the process of identifying and releasing' files on aliens, extraterrestrial life, and UFOs, announcing the move on Truth Social based on 'the tremendous interest shown' in the subject.
- Obama told podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen in an interview released last Saturday that 'aliens are real' but 'haven't seen them' and 'they're not being kept in Area 51' — comments Trump blasted as a 'big mistake,' telling reporters on Air Force One that Obama 'is not supposed to be doing that.'
- Obama later clarified on Instagram: 'I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us,' noting his original remarks came during a quickfire 'lightning round' of questions; the article states there is no indication he relied on classified information.
- Trump hedged on the core question, telling reporters: 'I don't know if they're real or not' and that he 'doesn't have an opinion' on aliens, despite ordering the file release.
- Context: The US saw renewed UFO interest starting in 2017 with a secret Pentagon program probing pilot sightings; Congress held its first UFO hearings in 50 years in 2022, and a 2024 Pentagon report concluded there was 'no evidence' the US government has encountered alien life.
Why it matters: The directive gives the Pentagon a political mandate to disclose decades of UFO records, but the 2024 Pentagon report already concluded there is no evidence of alien encounters — meaning the release is likely to deepen public speculation rather than confirm extraterrestrial contact, while weaponizing a culture-war flashpoint against Obama.
Ask SkimNews
