Trump tells Pentagon to release files on UFOs and "alien and extraterrestrial life"
#UFOs #extraterrestrial life #Pentagon files #Trump directive #UAPs #Obama comments #declassification
📌 Key Takeaways
- Trump ordered Pentagon to release UFO and extraterrestrial files
- Directive follows Obama's recent comments about aliens being real
- Pentagon has tracked UAPs for decades but found no evidence of extraterrestrial life
- Trump suggested he might declassify information to address Obama's 'mistake'
📖 Full Retelling
President Trump directed his administration to release files on UFOs and any 'alien and extraterrestrial life' on Thursday, February 19, 2026, in response to decades of public fascination with the subject and recent comments from former President Barack Obama about aliens being real. In a Truth Social post, the president told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other agency heads 'to begin the process of identifying and releasing' any relevant files while also calling for the disclosure of 'any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters.' The Pentagon has tracked reports of what it calls unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAPs, for decades, though a 2024 military report stated there's no evidence that any government investigation has confirmed the existence of extraterrestrial life. Trump's announcement came just days after Obama told a podcaster that aliens are real, though the former president later clarified he never saw evidence of human-alien contact during his presidency, attributing his belief to the statistical likelihood of life existing in the vast universe. When asked about Obama's comments, Trump expressed uncertainty about aliens' existence but criticized his predecessor for 'making a big mistake' and 'giving classified information,' suggesting he might 'get him out of trouble by declassifying' related materials.
🏷️ Themes
Government transparency, UFO phenomena, Political response to extraterrestrial claims
📚 Related People & Topics
Unidentified flying object
Airborne entity that has not been identified or explained
An unidentified flying object (UFO) is an object or phenomenon seen in the sky but not yet identified or explained. The term was coined when United States Air Force (USAF) investigations into flying saucers found too broad a range of shapes reported to consider them all saucers or discs. UFOs are al...
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Why It Matters
Trump's directive to release UFO files could increase public transparency about unidentified aerial phenomena and may influence future policy on national security and space exploration. The move also reflects growing political pressure to address long standing public curiosity about extraterrestrial life.
Original Source
Politics Trump says he's directing Pentagon to release any files on UFOs and "alien and extraterrestrial life" By Joe Walsh Joe Walsh Senior Editor, Politics Joe Walsh is a senior editor for digital politics at CBS News. Joe previously covered breaking news for Forbes and local news in Boston. Read Full Bio Joe Walsh Updated on: February 19, 2026 / 8:59 PM EST / CBS News Add CBS News on Google President Trump on Thursday directed his administration to release files on UFOs and any "alien and extraterrestrial life," an issue that has drawn decades of public fascination — and spawned more than a few wild theories. In a Truth Social post, the president told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other agency heads "to begin the process of identifying and releasing" any relevant files. Mr. Trump also called for the release of "any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters." It's not clear what files on UFOs might be released — or what information they may contain. The Pentagon has tracked reports of what it calls unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAPs, for decades. But the military said in a 2024 report there's no evidence that any government investigation into UAPs has confirmed the existence of extraterrestrial life. Mr. Trump's announcement came just days after one of his predecessors, former President Barack Obama, made waves by telling a podcaster that aliens are real. He later clarified that he never saw evidence of contact between humans and extraterrestrial life during his time in the White House, and he primarily believes that extraterrestrial life is real because "statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there's life out there." Asked Thursday about Obama's comments, Mr. Trump told reporters he isn't sure whether or not aliens exist, but added that the former president "made a big mistake" and "gave classified information." "I may get him out of trouble by declassifying," Mr. ...
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