WASHINGTON — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed Monday that the Pentagon is actively working to identify and release classified government files related to UFOs, unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), and extraterrestrial life, following a directive from President Donald Trump issued last week.
Speaking during a visit to Sierra Space, a commercial aerospace company in Louisville, Colorado, Hegseth told reporters, "We've got our people working on it right now. I don't want to oversell how much time it will take, but we're digging in." He added that his department will be "in full compliance" with Trump's instructions, and told reporters to "standby" for more updates.
When pressed on whether he personally has knowledge of the existence of extraterrestrial life, Hegseth said, "We'll see. I get to do the review and find out along with all of you." He acknowledged the unusual nature of the assignment, saying, "I did not have that on my bingo card at all."
Trump issued the directive Thursday night via Truth Social, writing that he would direct Hegseth and officials at other relevant 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), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters."
Trump's announcement came days after former President Barack Obama told a podcaster that aliens are "real." Obama later clarified that he meant "the odds are good there's life out there" and that he had seen "no evidence" of alien existence during his time in office.
The Pentagon has tracked UAP reports for decades. Its All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office stated in a 2024 report that it had received hundreds of UAP reports but found no evidence of extraterrestrial activity. "It is important to underscore that, to date, AARO has discovered no evidence of extraterrestrial beings, activity, or technology," the report said.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., chair of the House Oversight Committee's UAP task force, said declassified documents will be made available on the National Archives' website. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., called a potential disclosure "a bipartisan thing."
No timeline or classification status for the file release has been specified, leaving significant questions about scope, national security redactions, and what the public will ultimately see. Bipartisan interest in UAP transparency has been building in Congress for years, but advocates say they'll remain skeptical until the administration produces tangible results.
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