President Donald Trump said Thursday that he was directing agencies to release files pertaining to \u201calien and extraterrestrial life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump wrote on Truth Social that \u201cbased on the tremendous interest shown,\u201d he would be directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and officials at other relevant agencies \u201cto 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump\u2019s announcement comes after former President Barack Obama said in a podcast interview that aliens were real, later clarifying that he meant \u201cthe odds are good there\u2019s life out there.\u201d Obama added in his clarification that he had seen \u201cno evidence\u201d of alien existence during his time in office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Obama was answering a series of questions during a “lightning round” of the podcast interview, when he was asked whether aliens were real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“They’re real,” Obama said, “but I haven’t seen them, and they’re not being kept in Area 51. There’s no underground facility unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The podcaster, Brian Tyler Cohen, then asked Obama what was the first question he had wanted answered when he took office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Where are the aliens?” Obama responded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump, asked by a reporter about Obama\u2019s remarks Thursday, said Obama had given classified information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe\u2019s not supposed to be doing that,\u201d Trump added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following a 2024 hearing, the Pentagon said it received hundreds of reports on UAPs and 21 that merited \u201cfurther analysis\u201d because of \u201canomalous characteristics and\/or behaviors\u201d \u2014 but found no evidence of extraterrestrial activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Responding to Trump\u2019s directive Thursday night, Hegseth posted a screenshot of Trump\u2019s post with an alien emoji and a saluting emoji.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some lawmakers reacted to Trump’s announcement Thursday. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said in an interview on Fox News, “If he\u2019s going to release all of the X-Files, I think that could be a bipartisan thing,” referring to the 1990s television show about FBI agents investigating \u2014 among other things \u2014 government conspiracies about aliens, which Fetterman said he “grew up watching.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., thanked Trump, writing: “Looks like we are about to have a ton of hearings on this :)!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n