Trump directs Pentagon and agencies to release UFO and alien files

President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social instructing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other agency heads 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.”

Different reproductions of the post vary. One version names the “Secretary of War” verbatim, while other versions explicitly direct Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The discrepancy has not been clarified publicly, and no formal written directive has been produced to the press.

The announcement followed renewed national attention after former president Barack Obama told a podcast audience that “they’re real but I haven’t seen them,” and later clarified that he had not seen evidence of contact during his presidency and that “statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there’s life out there.” In public remarks, Mr. Trump said he was unsure whether aliens exist but called Mr. Obama’s comments a “big mistake” and said “I may get him out of trouble by declassifying.”

Officials have previously acknowledged that the Pentagon and other agencies have tracked unidentified aerial phenomena for decades. A 2024 review cited in congressional hearings recorded “hundreds” of UAP reports and found 21 cases that merited “further analysis” because of “anomalous characteristics and/or behaviors,” but concluded there was no evidence that any investigation had confirmed extraterrestrial activity. Congress held its first hearings on UAPs in 50 years in May 2022, and public scrutiny re-emerged after Navy videos of unexplained objects were leaked to the media in 2017.

Reactions within the administration were immediate but uneven. Hegseth posted a screenshot of the president’s message accompanied by an alien emoji and a saluting emoji. Lara Trump, on a podcast this week, said a speech on the topic had been prepared and would be delivered at the “right time,” a claim White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt met with laughter, telling reporters, “A speech on aliens would be news to me.”

What files exist, where they are held, and what classification levels they carry remain unclear. There is no public timeline for the “identifying and releasing” process, no paperwork shown to indicate a formal declassification order, and no explanation yet of whether material will be redacted for national security. Those unanswered questions raise immediate oversight and procedural issues for the Department of Defense, the intelligence community, and the National Archives.

Beyond legal and bureaucratic procedures, the move could have broader social consequences. Large-scale or poorly contextualized releases of alleged UAP material risk fueling misinformation, eroding trust in government, and prompting anxiety among communities that already face limited access to reliable information. Transparency advocates say clear protocols, timelines, and independent oversight will be essential to prevent confusion and to ensure that disclosure serves public accountability rather than spectacle.

For now, administration officials have provided only social media posts and remarks to reporters. Which agencies will be asked to search records, how sensitive material will be handled, and what, if anything, will be disclosed publicly remain open questions as the White House and defense leadership prepare next steps.