In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said he instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and "other relevant agencies” to identify and declassify files concerning extraterrestrial life, UAPs, and UFOs, citing what he called "tremendous public interest.” The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the scope or timeline of the directive.

Trump’s announcement followed comments this week from former President Barack Obama, who said during a recorded interview on the Brian Tyler Cohen Podcast that "the odds are good there’s life out there,” while emphasizing he saw "no evidence” of alien existence during his administration. Obama initially joked that aliens were "real” during a rapid-fire question segment before clarifying that he was referring to the statistical likelihood of extraterrestrial life in the universe.

Asked by a reporter about Obama’s remarks, Trump accused his predecessor of revealing classified information, saying, "He’s not supposed to be doing that,” without specifying what material he believed was improperly disclosed. A spokesperson for Obama did not immediately comment.

The order comes amid renewed public and congressional attention to UAP investigations. Following a 2024 hearing, the Pentagon, through the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), reported receiving hundreds of UAP submissions and identified 21 cases requiring deeper review due to "anomalous characteristics”—but reiterated it had found no evidence supporting extraterrestrial activity.

National security analysts say Trump’s directive could test long-standing classification frameworks that balance transparency with the protection of intelligence sources. Any release process, they note, will require interagency review and could take months.