US President Donald Trump has directed government agencies to begin preparing the release of files related to aliens, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and UFOs, following renewed public debate over extraterrestrial life.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he would instruct agencies — including the Department of Defense — to “begin the process of identifying and releasing” relevant documents. His statement came hours after he criticised former President Barack Obama over comments made during a recent podcast interview.
Speaking aboard Air Force One earlier in the day, Trump accused Obama of disclosing classified information after the former president said “aliens are real” during a conversation with podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen. Trump said Obama “made a big mistake” but added that he himself does not know whether aliens are real and does not have a firm opinion on the matter.
Obama later clarified that he was referring to the statistical likelihood of life existing elsewhere in the universe, not evidence of contact with extraterrestrials. In a follow-up social media post, he stated that he saw no proof during his presidency that aliens had made contact with Earth.
Public interest in UFOs has grown in recent years. In 2017, reports revealed a secret Pentagon programme investigating sightings by military personnel. In 2022, Congress held its first UFO hearings in 50 years, and the Pentagon established a dedicated office to review reports of unidentified aerial encounters. However, a 2024 Pentagon report concluded there was no evidence that the US government had encountered alien life, stating that most sightings were attributable to ordinary objects.
Trump said the planned file review was in response to what he described as “tremendous interest” in the subject, calling the matter complex but important.
