Trump says ‘very interesting’ UFO files to be released soon

US President Donald Trump has said his administration will declassify and release government files on unidentified flying objects (UFOs) in the near future, describing some of the material as “very interesting.”

The Pentagon has recently said it is reviewing and consolidating related records before any public release, citing security concerns. Trump signed an executive order in February instructing the Department of War to disclose “any and all information” related to UFOs and unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP).

“I think we’re going to be releasing as much as we can in the near future… some of it is going to be very interesting to people,” Trump told reporters during a White House briefing late Wednesday, adding that public interest in the topic had built up “for a long time.”

“I interviewed some pilots – very solid people. And they said they saw things that you wouldn’t believe,” he said.

Trump’s order on UFO files followed a widely shared podcast appearance by former President Barack Obama, who said he believed aliens were real but insisted the US government was not hiding any proof. Obama referred to Area 51, a classified US Air Force site in Nevada long at the center of conspiracy theories alleging the government conducts secret research there and stores extraterrestrial materials and technology.

Trump later claimed Obama had disclosed classified information and said the planned document release was intended to meet “tremendous interest” from the American public. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has said he will learn “alongside” the public whether his department holds records proving the existence of alien life.

The American authorities have been collecting reports of UFO and UAP sightings for decades, with the Pentagon now running an All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) for the purpose. In March 2024, the Pentagon said it had no proof that any unidentified aerial phenomena were alien technology, adding that many cases involved weather balloons, spy planes, satellites, or other routine activity.

In a report released in late 2024, the department stated it had received 757 UAP reports between May 2023 and June 2024, of which 21 “merit further analysis” because of “anomalous characteristics and/or behaviors.”

Trump later claimed Obama had disclosed classified information and said the planned document release was intended to meet “tremendous interest” from the American public. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has said he will learn “alongside” the public whether his department holds records proving the existence of alien life.

The American authorities have been collecting reports of UFO and UAP sightings for decades, with the Pentagon now running an All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) for the purpose. In March 2024, the Pentagon said it had no proof that any unidentified aerial phenomena were alien technology, adding that many cases involved weather balloons, spy planes, satellites, or other routine activity.

In a report released in late 2024, the department stated it had received 757 UAP reports between May 2023 and June 2024, of which 21 “merit further analysis” because of “anomalous characteristics and/or behaviors.”