In a significant development regarding government transparency on unidentified aerial phenomena, former President Donald Trump announced Thursday his intention to mandate federal agencies to commence declassifying documents pertaining to aliens and unidentified flying objects (UFOs). The declaration, made during his travel to Georgia, cited substantial public curiosity as the primary impetus behind this directive.
The announcement was accompanied by a pointed accusation against his predecessor. Trump asserted, without presenting corroborating evidence, that former President Barack Obama had improperly handled classified materials during public discussions on extraterrestrial life. ‘He took it out of classified information… He’s not supposed to be doing that,’ Trump stated to reporters, characterizing Obama’s actions as a ‘big mistake.’
This criticism references a recent podcast interview where Obama was questioned on the existence of aliens. The former president responded by acknowledging the statistical probability of life beyond Earth due to the universe’s vastness but expressed personal skepticism about visits to Earth or secret government holdings. ‘They’re real, but I haven’t seen them, and they’re not being kept in… Area 51,’ Obama clarified, dismissing widespread conspiracy theories about the notorious Nevada Air Force base, which archival documents confirm was a testing ground for secret spy aircraft, not extraterrestrial technology.
Obama’s office has not publicly addressed Trump’s allegations. The remarks in question contained no apparent disclosure of classified information and aligned with the U.S. government’s long-standing official position.
Contradicting his own push for disclosure, Trump concurrently expressed personal ambivalence, remarking, ‘I don’t know if they’re real or not.’ This stance appears consistent with recent Pentagon conclusions. Official investigations, including a comprehensive 2024 report, have consistently found no empirical evidence for extraterrestrial technology or visitations. These studies attribute most UFO sightings to misidentified ordinary objects and natural phenomena, a finding reiterated by senior military leaders in 2022.