Chicago – February 20, 2026
President Donald Trump has directed federal agencies, including the Pentagon, to begin identifying and releasing government records on extraterrestrial life, UFOs, and unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP).
The announcement came via a Truth Social post on February 19, 2026, citing “tremendous interest” in the topic, which Trump described as “extremely interesting and important.” It followed Trump’s accusation that former President Barack Obama revealed classified information by stating aliens are real during a podcast with Brian Tyler Cohen.
Aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters Obama “made a big mistake” and “took it out of classified information,” adding he might declassify files to “get him out of trouble.” Obama had said aliens likely exist given the universe’s vastness but saw no evidence of visits to Earth or secret facilities like Area 51 during his presidency.
No timeline was provided for the releases, echoing past declassification efforts on topics like Jeffrey Epstein files. The move reignites public fascination with UFO disclosures amid ongoing Pentagon investigations.
