New Delhi: There has always been a ring of enigma over extraterrestrial encounters, Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs), and Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs). For years, we have wondered about other worlds, our curiosity fuelled by countless movies and TV shows. Now, the US government is set to take an unprecedented step to unravel the mystery and finally answer the questions that have perplexed and fascinated us for so long.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that he has directed his administration to start releasing government records related to UFOs and any material related to “alien and extraterrestrial life”.
What did the post say?
He made the announcement on Truth Social. It was shared by the official White House handle too.
Trump wrote: “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).”
“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… pic.twitter.com/3fKQ7wrSvi
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 20, 2026
Without specifying whether classified documents would be released to the public, Trump added that the files should include “any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters”.
Trump’s announcement came after former President Barack Obama confirmed that there were aliens. Trump initially hit out at Obama, stating that he had revealed the classified information, and “he is not supposed to be doing that”. However, later, he directed the release of the files, saying Obama “made a big mistake” and “I may get him out of trouble by declassifying”.
What did Obama say
In a recent podcast appearance that went viral, Obama sparked fresh debate with his remarks on the possible existence of extraterrestrial life.
“They’re real, but I haven’t seen them and they’re not being kept in… Area 51,” Obama had told host Brian Tyler Cohen, mentioning the top-secret US military facility in Nevada at the centre of several UFO conspiracy theories.
“There’s no underground facility. Unless, there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States.”
For years, the Pentagon has documented sightings of what it dubs as UAPs. In 2024, the Pentagon had come out with a report pointing out that it found no evidence linking UAPs to alien technology. It had noted that many of the suspicious sightings were eventually identified as weather balloons, surveillance aircraft, satellites, or other normal activities.