Donald Trump announces plan to declassify UFO, UAP and alien files; lawmakers react as he also criticises Barack Obama remarks. Photos: X.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that he will instruct senior administration officials to begin identifying and releasing government records related to alien, unidentified flying objects (UFOs), unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and extraterrestrial life, citing growing public interest in the subject.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he would direct relevant departments to initiate the process.
“Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, 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,” Trump wrote.
“GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
The move drew immediate reactions from Republican lawmakers involved in transparency efforts related to classified federal information.
Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who chairs the House Oversight Committee’s task force on the declassification of federal secrets, welcomed the development.
“Looks like we are about to have a ton of hearings on this :)! Thank you @POTUS!!!” Luna wrote on X.
Representative Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), also a member of the task force, posted a brief message of support:
“It’s time. Thank you @realDonaldTrump.”
Earlier the same day, Trump criticised former US President Barack Obama for comments made in a recent interview in which Obama suggested aliens are “real.”
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump accused Obama of disclosing classified information.
“He gave classified information, he’s not supposed to be doing that,” Trump said.
“I don’t know if they’re real or not, but I can tell you he gave classified information.”
He continued, “He made a big mistake. He took it out of classified information. No, I don’t have an opinion on it. I never talk about it. A lot of people do. A lot of people believe it.”
Obama, however, clarified during an interview with podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen that he had not personally encountered extraterrestrials, while dismissing conspiracy theories linked to Area 51.
He noted that he hasn’t “seen” any aliens, but was adamant that “they’re not being kept in Area 51,” in the interview that aired Saturday.
Public fascination with UFOs and extraterrestrial life has intensified in recent years, particularly after former military intelligence officer and whistleblower David Grusch claimed in 2023 that the Pentagon and other federal agencies were withholding information about unidentified anomalous phenomena.
The issue has since prompted bipartisan calls in Congress for greater transparency from the government.
According to a November poll by YouGov, 56% of Americans believe that aliens exist, reflecting the sustained public interest that has fueled political attention to the topic.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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