President Donald Trump accused former President Barack Obama of revealing classified information over comments about aliens and said he has directed officials to begin releasing related government files. Trump called Obama’s remarks a “big mistake” and said they disclosed material that should not have been made public.
The dispute began with a brief exchange on Brian Tyler Cohen’s podcast, where Obama was asked directly whether aliens exist.
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“They’re real, but I haven’t seen them,” Obama said, adding that extraterrestrials are not being held at Area 51 “unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States.”
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NASA says the odds of us being alone are less than one in 10 billion trillion, assuming life can develop on other planets.
The clip spread quickly online. The next day, Obama clarified on Instagram that he was speaking statistically. The universe is vast, he wrote, so life elsewhere is plausible. But, he insisted, “I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!”
Trump alleges classified breach
Speaking aboard Air Force One Thursday, Trump said Obama “gave classified information” during the podcast.
“I can tell you he gave classified information, he’s not supposed to be doing that,” Trump told reporters. “He made a big mistake, he took it out of classified information.”
When asked whether aliens are real the president responded, “No, I don’t have an opinion on it. I never talk about it. A lot of people do. A lot of people believe it.”
Trump orders release of alien, UFO files
Hours after criticizing Obama, Trump said on Truth Social that he had directed his administration to begin identifying and releasing government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena and UFOs.
He didn’t provide a timeline for when any documents would be made public.
Trump also said he would “get [Obama] out of trouble” by declassifying the relevant material.
Prior presidential comments on UFOs
Obama has addressed unidentified aerial phenomena before. In a 2021 interview, he said the government has footage of objects in the sky that officials cannot fully explain, but he did not confirm extraterrestrial activity.
Former President Bill Clinton has said he directed federal officials to review claims tied to Area 51, the Nevada military facility long linked to conspiracy theories about alien technology. He said nothing unusual was found.
The CIA acknowledged the existence of Area 51 in 2013 but did not confirm claims involving alien craft or hidden facilities.
Classified records context
Trump’s criticism lands against the backdrop of scrutiny over classified documents recovered from his Mar-a-Lago residence after he left office. Those records included sensitive national security material.
Trump did not tie Obama’s podcast remarks to any specific documents or classified programs.
