'Obama Not Supposed To...': Trump Says US Will Declassify Files On UFO Sightings, Aliens

Last Updated:February 20, 2026, 07:39 IST

Donald Trump accused former US president Barack Obama of improperly discussing extraterrestrial life during a recent podcast interview.

US President Donald Trump said he is directing federal agencies to begin releasing government documents related to extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), citing strong public interest in the subject.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said he would instruct relevant departments 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."

Read more: Obama’s ‘Aliens Are Real’ Remark Sparks Buzz: What US Presidents Have Said About UFOs

Trump’s announcement came after he accused former US president Barack Obama of improperly discussing extraterrestrial life during a recent podcast interview.

“He gave classified information, he’s not supposed to be doing that," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, adding that he could declassify related material to get Obama “out of trouble."

When asked whether he personally believed aliens were real, Trump said he did not have a definitive view. “Well, I don’t know if they’re real or not," he said.

Obama, speaking on a podcast released last week, said he believed extraterrestrial life was statistically likely given the vastness of the universe. However, he clarified he saw no evidence during his presidency that aliens had made contact with Earth.

“I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!" Obama wrote later on social media, seeking to clear up confusion around his remarks.

Trump’s move to release files comes amid longstanding public fascination with UFOs and government secrecy. A 2024 Pentagon report said there was “no evidence" the US government had encountered alien life and concluded that most reported sightings involved ordinary airborne objects or misidentified phenomena.

The US Congress has also examined the issue. In 2023, the US House of Representatives held hearings on UAPs, though no evidence confirming extraterrestrial origin was presented.

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