President Trump announced on Wednesday that he is directing the Pentagon and other federal agencies to begin identifying and releasing all government files related to UFOs, unidentified aerial phenomena, and extraterrestrial life.
“Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and 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),” Trump wrote in a social media post.
🚨Breaking News. Trump to release all information relating to UFO’s and UAP. @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/O5nYegoN6T
— Mav (@Mavmetax) February 20, 2026
While interviewed on Air Force One, Trump said he does not know whether aliens are real. The directive did not include a timeline for when files would be released or specify what classified materials might be involved.
The announcement came alongside an accusation from Trump that former President Barack Obama had revealed classified information during a podcast appearance. Obama told a host that aliens “are real” and discussed Area 51, prompting Trump to tell reporters that Obama “took it out of classified information” and was “not supposed to be doing that.”
Doocy: Barack Obama said aliens are real.
Trump: He’s not supposed to be doing that. He made a big mistake giving out classified information. pic.twitter.com/UF6DWCgcIA
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 19, 2026
🚨Former President Barack Obama, in a February 14, 2026, podcast interview with Brian Tyler Cohen, directly addressed UFO speculation.
Asked if aliens are real, Obama replied: “They’re real, but I haven’t seen them.”
He dismissed Area 51 alien conspiracies, joking there’s no… pic.twitter.com/8kVjByhfr0
— Channel Zero (@channelzer_0) February 15, 2026
Following the podcast, Obama later responded that he saw no evidence of extraterrestrial contact during his presidency. He said his remarks were based on the statistical likelihood of life existing elsewhere in a universe containing billions of galaxies, not on any classified briefing.
The directive taps into a growing public interest in UAPs that has accelerated since 2017, when the Pentagon acknowledged a previously secret program studying unidentified aerial encounters reported by military pilots.
Congressional hearings in 2023 featured testimony from former intelligence officials describing alleged government possession of non-human craft and biological material, though the Pentagon has disputed those claims.
A 2024 Pentagon report from the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) found no verifiable evidence that the U.S. government or private industry has ever possessed extraterrestrial technology or had contact with alien life. The report reviewed investigations dating back to 1945.
