President Donald Trump directed the Pentagon to release files on UFOs and "alien and extraterrestrial life." According to CBS News, the order came Thursday via a Truth Social post to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and agency heads.
Trump cited "tremendous interest" in these topics. He aims to disclose records on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), UFOs and related matters.
Obama sparks classified claim
The move followed former President Barack Obama's podcast remarks. As reported by USA Today, Obama told host Brian Tyler Cohen, "They're real, but I haven't seen them."
He added, "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," according to USA Today.
Obama later clarified on social media. "Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there’s life out there. But the distances between solar systems are so great that the chances we’ve been visited by aliens is low, and I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!" he wrote, USA Today reported.
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Trump called it a "big mistake" and "classified information." "He gave classified information, he's not supposed to be doing that," Trump said Feb. 19 aboard Air Force One, per USA Today.
"I may get him out of trouble by declassifying," Trump added to reporters, according to CBS News.
Pentagon findings and sightings surge
CBS News explained how the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office reported in 2024 no evidence of extraterrestrial beings or technology. It stated, "It is important to underscore that, to date, AARO has discovered no evidence of extraterrestrial beings, activity, or technology." They went on to state how many UAP reports tie to birds, balloons or drones. Yet unresolved cases persist.
Public fascination grows with pilot reports of odd sky objects. A House Republican released video of a U.S. missile hitting a glowing orb that bounced off, per another CBS News report. Additionally, a former Navy pilot described fast-moving objects in restricted airspace on "60 Minutes." Congress held three UAP hearings since 2023, including witness testimony and drone video.
NASA's 2023 report found no extraterrestrial links to UAPs, CBS News noted. Trump's order responds to decades of intrigue and recent pushes for transparency on potential security threats.
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