Trump Directs Government to Release Files on UFOs and Extraterrestrial Life

President says he doesn't know if aliens are real but wants to declassify information due to 'tremendous interest'

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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President Donald Trump has directed the Pentagon and other government agencies to identify and release files related to extraterrestrials, UFOs, and unidentified aerial phenomena. Trump says he doesn't know if aliens are real but wants to declassify the information due to 'tremendous interest' in the topic, including recent comments made by former President Barack Obama about the possibility of alien life.

Why it matters

The release of government files on UFOs and extraterrestrial life has been a longstanding interest for many people, with renewed public scrutiny on the topic in recent years after the Pentagon acknowledged the existence of unidentified aerial phenomena. Trump's directive could shed more light on what the government knows, or doesn't know, about the possibility of alien life.

The details

Trump made the announcement in a social media post, hours after accusing former President Obama of disclosing 'classified information' when Obama recently suggested in a podcast interview that aliens were real. Trump told reporters he may 'get him out of trouble by declassifying' the information. The renewed interest in UFOs and extraterrestrial life was sparked in 2017 when a group of former Pentagon and government officials leaked Navy videos of unknown objects to the media. Since then, the Pentagon has promised more transparency on the topic, creating the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office in 2022 to collect reports of military UFO encounters.

  • In 2017, a group of former Pentagon and government officials leaked Navy videos of unknown objects to the media.
  • In May 2022, Congress held the first hearings on UFOs in 50 years.
  • In July 2022, the Pentagon created the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office to collect reports of military UFO encounters.
  • In 2023, the head of AARO said they had found no evidence of any reverse engineering of extraterrestrial technology.
  • In June 2024, an 18-page unclassified report to Congress said service members had made 485 reports of unidentified phenomena in the past year, but 118 cases were found to be 'prosaic objects'.

The players

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States who is directing government agencies to release files related to extraterrestrials and UFOs.

Barack Obama

The former President of the United States who recently suggested in a podcast interview that aliens were real, prompting criticism from Trump.

All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)

A department created by the Pentagon in July 2022 to be a central place to collect reports of all military UFO encounters.

Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick

The former head of AARO who said in 2023 that they had found no evidence of any program to reverse engineer extraterrestrial technology.

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What they’re saying

“I don't know if they're real or not.”

— Donald Trump, President (Associated Press)

“Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there's life out there.”

— Barack Obama, Former President (Associated Press)

“To date, AARO has discovered no evidence of extraterrestrial beings, activity, or technology.”

— Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, Former Head of AARO (Associated Press)

What’s next

The Pentagon and other government agencies will now work to identify and release files related to extraterrestrials, UFOs, and unidentified aerial phenomena as directed by President Trump.

The takeaway

Trump's directive to declassify government information on UFOs and extraterrestrial life reflects the ongoing public fascination with the possibility of alien life, despite a lack of conclusive evidence. The release of these files could shed more light on what the government knows, or doesn't know, about this highly complex and intriguing topic.