President Donald Trump on Thursday said that he was directing agencies to release files pertaining to “alien and extraterrestrial life.”
Trump wrote on Truth Social that “based on the tremendous interest shown,” he would be directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other relevant 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’s announcement comes after former President Barack Obama said during a podcast interview that aliens were real, later clarifying that he meant “the odds are good there’s life out there.” The former president added that he had seen “no evidence” of alien existence during his term in office.
Trump, asked by a reporter about Obama’s remarks Thursday, said Obama had given classified information.
“He’s not supposed to be doing that,” Trump added.
Following a 2024 hearing, the Pentagon said it received hundreds of reports on UAPs and 21 that merited “further analysis” due to “anomalous characteristics and/or behaviors” — but found no evidence of extraterrestrial activity.
Cambridge researchers using the James Webb space telescope say they have detected two gases in the atmosphere of the planet K2-18b that hint at alien life.