U.S. President Donald Trump announced yesterday that he will order federal agencies to “identify and publish” government files related to extraterrestrials, something some Americans have been calling for decades. “Given the tremendous interest shown, I will instruct the Secretary of War, and other relevant departments and agencies, to begin the process of identifying and publishing files related to alien life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and unidentified flying objects (UFOs),” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
While he did not specify whether classified documents would be released, Trump said the disclosure must include “all and any other information connected to this highly complex, but extremely interesting and important subject.” The announcement came hours after Trump criticized former President Barack Obama for revealing “classified” information in recent remarks about the existence of extraterrestrial life during an interview.
“He gave classified information, he’s not supposed to do that,” Trump complained earlier Thursday when reporters asked him aboard Air Force One about Obama’s recent comments, which reignited conspiracy theories on the topic. In a podcast published last week, former President Obama said he believed extraterrestrials were real, but that he had seen no proof of it while in the White House (2009–2017).
“They’re real, but I haven’t seen them and they don’t have them stored in… Area 51,” he told host Brian Tyler Cohen, referring to the secret installation that is the focus of many UFO conspiracy theories. “There isn’t an underground facility. Unless there’s a huge conspiracy and they kept it from the president of the United States,” Obama added.
His comments were fuel on social media. The former president posted a message on Instagram Sunday night to clarify his position, saying he had made those remarks only to keep the podcast light. “Statistically, the universe is so vast that it’s very likely there’s life out there,” he wrote on Instagram.
“But the distances between solar systems are so great that the odds that extraterrestrials have visited us are low, and I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Seriously!” Obama added. Trump did not specify which part of Obama’s comments was classified, but said Obama “made a big mistake.”
