President Donald Trump has directed federal agencies to move forward with the declassification of government files tied to UFOs, aliens and unidentified aerial phenomena, launching what officials describe as a broad transparency effort that includes records compiled during previous administrations.
According to reporting from TIME, Trump’s directive calls for intelligence agencies and defense officials to review and release materials related to UFO investigations, unexplained aerial sightings and internal assessments that have remained classified for years. The review reportedly includes documents dating back to the presidency of Barack Obama, when interest in unidentified aerial phenomena began gaining renewed attention within the Pentagon.
Obama spilled the beans that aliens are real, so Trump said f–k it and is just going to declassify relevant information pertaining to extraterrestrial life and UFOs.
Trump is pretty much confirming that we are not alone, and our government knows something about it.
Wild times. pic.twitter.com/3Fs399iWCx
— Clandestine (@WarClandestine) February 20, 2026
Trump has repeatedly indicated that Americans deserve greater access to information surrounding aliens and unexplained encounters. “I want transparency,” Trump previously said when asked about classified materials. “People have been asking about this for a long time.”
The UFO and aliens declassification push comes as public fascination with aliens has intensified in recent years, particularly following congressional hearings and the release of military footage showing unidentified objects exhibiting unusual flight patterns. Lawmakers from both parties have pressed defense officials for clearer explanations about what pilots have reported seeing in restricted airspace.
In 1989, during an interview with journalist George Knapp on KLAS-TV in Las Vegas, former Area 51 employee Bob Lazar claimed he encountered an extremely classified document while working at the secretive S-4 facility. Lazar stated that the document contained information… pic.twitter.com/wCZU920yAJ
— Maestro!!! 🎻 (@1987andsoon) February 20, 2026
Under the Trump order, agencies are expected to evaluate which aliens and UFO documents can be released without compromising national security or revealing sensitive intelligence methods. Officials familiar with the process say the review will span decades of reports, internal memos, satellite analyses and interagency communications.
The effort builds on earlier Pentagon initiatives that formally acknowledged investigations into what are now referred to as unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAPs. Those programs confirmed that certain incidents could not immediately be explained but stopped short of drawing conclusions about extraterrestrial origins.
PETER DOOCY: “Barack Obama said that aliens are real. Have you seen any evidence of non-human visitors to Earth?”
TRUMP: “Well he gave classified information? He's not supposed to be doing that."
…
PETER DOOCY: “So aliens are real?”
TRUMP: “Well, I don't know if they're… pic.twitter.com/PI6xpIxfU6
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 19, 2026
Trump’s directive signals a renewed focus on public disclosure. Supporters of the move argue that decades of secrecy have fueled speculation and mistrust. By reopening files and expanding declassification, the Trump administration appears intent on addressing lingering questions head-on rather than allowing rumors to dominate public discourse.
The scope of the aliens and UFOs review reportedly extends beyond raw sighting reports to include executive branch discussions and intelligence briefings compiled during prior administrations. That includes records generated while Obama was in office, when certain military encounters first began receiving heightened scrutiny within defense circles.
If you’ve been wondering where all this “Are aliens real?” talk is coming from…
A few days ago, Obama raised the subject on a podcast. Today, Trump responded by saying that Obama had “revealed secret information” and that he “might get him out of trouble by declassifying it.”… pic.twitter.com/Dn5mezxOyC
— Benjamin Rapture Ready (@TheBelieverJC) February 20, 2026
Officials at the White House have not provided a specific timeline for when the materials will be released, but the process is said to be underway. Agencies must balance transparency with security concerns, particularly when documents involve classified surveillance capabilities or foreign adversary monitoring.
Interest in aliens and UFOs has surged amid testimony from former military personnel who described encounters with objects demonstrating advanced maneuverability. Congress has established oversight structures and reporting requirements to better track and catalog such incidents.
The Trump order to declassify and release all alien files and UFO documnts. aligns with his broader pattern of advocating for declassification of historic government records. Throughout his political career, he has emphasized opening files that he argues the public has a right to examine.
Whether the forthcoming releases will contain groundbreaking revelations or primarily historical documentation remains unclear. Still, the directive ensures that federal agencies will formally reassess decades of material connected to aliens and UFO investigations.
For millions of Americans who have long questioned what the government knows about unexplained aerial phenomena, Trump’s move represents a significant step toward potential answers. As the review proceeds, anticipation is likely to grow over what those long-sealed files may reveal.
