Former US president Barack Obama has once again weighed in on the enduring fascination with extraterrestrial life, saying in a recent interview that aliens are “real”, while clarifying that he has never personally encountered any.
The comments came during a conversation with YouTuber and political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen, released on Saturday, February 14, where the topic surfaced during a rapid-fire “lightning round” segment.
Are Aliens Real? Barack Obama Responds
When asked directly, “Are aliens real?”, Obama replied, “They’re real, but I haven’t seen them,” before moving to debunk one of the most persistent conspiracy theories tied to the US government.
Addressing speculation about secret extraterrestrial activity at Area 51, the former president dismissed claims that aliens are being hidden at the classified military site.
“And they’re not being kept in … what is it? Area 51,” Obama said. “There’s no underground facility, unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States.”
🚨Barack Obama jokes that aliens are “real,” but says he hasn’t seen them — and they’re not hiding in Area 51.pic.twitter.com/z17qdipuNZ
— Derrick Evans (@DerrickEvans4WV) February 15, 2026
What Is Area 51?
The facility, officially known as the Nevada Test and Training Range, is operated by the United States Air Force. Its existence was only publicly acknowledged by the US government in 2013 after years of denial, when previously classified documents were released. The remote base remains strictly off-limits to civilians and is guarded by armed security personnel.
Later in the interview, Cohen asked Obama what the first question he wanted answered was upon becoming president. The former president responded with humor, referencing the earlier discussion.
“Where are the aliens?” he said with a laugh.
This was not the first time Obama has made similar remarks. During a 2021 appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden, hosted by James Corden, he joked about whether the government maintained a secret facility containing alien specimens or spacecraft.
“The truth is, that when I came into office, I asked, ‘Is there the lab somewhere where we’re keeping the alien specimens and spaceship?’ ” he said at the time.
Barack Obama On Potential Global Impact if Aliens Were Proven Real
Obama has also previously discussed the broader implications of confirmed extraterrestrial life. Speaking on a 2021 episode of The Ezra Klein Show, he suggested that proof of aliens would likely reshape global politics and society.
“There would be immediate arguments about, like, well, we need to spend a lot more money on weapons systems to defend ourselves. New religions would pop up. And who knows what kind of arguments we get into. We’re good at manufacturing arguments for each other,” he said.
However, he added that such a discovery would not alter his own political outlook.
“It wouldn’t change my politics at all. Because my entire politics is premised on the fact that we are these tiny organisms on this little speck floating in the middle of space,” Obama said.
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
