• Trump orders release of files on possible extraterrestrial life
• No confirmed evidence yet of life beyond Earth

US President Donald Trump announced that he will direct government agencies, including the Department of Defense, to “begin identifying and releasing” documents related to aliens and extraterrestrial life.

Trump made the statement in a post on Truth Social, following his criticism of former President Barack Obama for saying last week on a podcast that “aliens are real.”

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said: “He wasn’t supposed to do that. He made a big mistake.”

When asked if he believes in extraterrestrial life, Trump replied: “I don’t know if they’re real or not.”

Obama had previously told a podcast host that he believes aliens could exist, adding: “They’re real, but I haven’t seen them, and they’re not kept in Area 51. There’s no underground facility unless there’s a massive cover-up hiding it from the US president.”

After the comments sparked discussion, Obama clarified on Instagram that his view is based on statistical likelihood of life beyond Earth and that he saw no evidence during his presidency of aliens contacting humans.

Trump added that many people believe in extraterrestrial life, but he rarely discusses it and “doesn’t have a firm opinion.” Later on Truth Social, he said that due to widespread interest, he will seek the release of files on “extraterrestrial life, unknown entities, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and all related information on these complex, intriguing, and important matters.”

A 2024 Pentagon report stated there is no evidence that the US government has encountered alien life, and that most UFO sightings were ordinary objects.

The US House of Representatives also held a hearing in 2023 on unidentified aerial phenomena, which did not confirm the existence of extraterrestrial life.