President Donald Trump Orders Release of UFO and Alien Files

On Feb. 19, 2026 President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social account that he was directing the Defense Department and other federal agencies to "identify and release" government documents relating to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and unidentified flying objects (UFOs).

“President Trump said Thursday he has directed the Pentagon and other agencies to identify and release files related to extraterrestrials, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and UFOs, citing “tremendous interest”

ABC7 Los Angeles

He called the subject "highly complex, but extremely interesting and important" and said he was responding to "tremendous interest."

ABC7 Los Angeles

Several outlets record that he framed the order as instructing the "Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies" to "begin the process" of making the records public.

The move did not specify a timeline or the treatment of classified material.

The announcement followed a viral podcast exchange in which former president Barack Obama answered "They're real" in a rapid-response segment.

Obama later clarified he had seen no evidence of contact and said he was speaking statistically.

Al Jazeera

Trump publicly accused Obama of revealing "classified information" and told reporters he might "get [Obama] out of trouble by declassifying."

Trump also told reporters he did not know whether aliens are real.

Coverage across outlets records these elements but varies in emphasis, with many noting Obama’s clarification and others foregrounding Trump’s accusation and his quip about declassification.

The directive arrived against a backdrop of renewed public and congressional interest, including leaked Navy videos in 2017, 2022 congressional hearings and a March 2024 Pentagon/AARO effort.

“President Trump said on Truth Social he will order “the Secretary of War and the ministries and other relevant agencies” to identify and release government files on extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena and “flying saucers”

Al-Jazeera Net

According to multiple outlets, that March 2024 effort found no evidence that UAP represent alien technology and attributed many sightings to mundane causes such as spy planes, satellites or weather balloons.

Analysts and some outlets also point to whistleblower claims and unresolved incidents, for example 2023 allegations of recoveries and reverse-engineering, that supporters say justify fuller disclosure.

Officials and the Pentagon have disputed those assertions.

Al Jazeera, UPI and other outlets report lawmakers from both parties publicly welcomed greater transparency.

They named Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and Democratic Sen. John Fetterman as supporters.

AnewZ

White House communications amplified the announcement on social platforms, with UPI noting Karoline Leavitt called it 'OUT OF THIS WORLD NEWS' on X.

At the same time, several outlets flagged questions about motive and timing, noting the move's broad language and absence of a procedural plan.

Some critics warned releases could be heavily redacted or politically timed.

Most outlets note Trump provided no timetable, no list of subjects to be released, and did not specify whether genuinely classified materials would be declassified.

“- President Trump ordered federal agencies to identify and release all government files related to aliens, extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and UFOs, citing “tremendous interest” from the public”

artthreat.net

Reporting therefore ranges from treating the announcement as a substantive transparency push to describing it as a high-profile, low-detail directive that may yield mundane, heavily redacted files.

Asharq Al-awsat - English

Observers quoted across the coverage warn that agencies must now assemble, vet and legally review records before any public release, leaving open whether the public will see anything beyond previously released pilot videos and routine incident reports.