Donald Trump has pledged to release classified government files on alien and extraterrestrial life, sparking widespread excitement and a surge in online conspiracy theories, most prominently the decades-old 'Project Blue Beam' theory, which alleges a government plot to stage a fake alien encounter.
The president issued the directive on 19 February 2026 via Truth Social, ordering the Department of Defense and other federal agencies to begin releasing files on unidentified aerial phenomena. On 17 April 2026, speaking at a Turning Point USA event in Phoenix, Arizona, he told the crowd that 'very interesting documents' had already been found and that 'first releases will begin very, very soon.'
Both statements followed a podcast appearance by former President Barack Obama, in which he said aliens were 'real.' He later clarified that he meant the universe's vast scale made the existence of life elsewhere statistically likely, while noting he had seen no evidence of contact during his time in office.
Trump posted on Truth Social on the evening of 19 February 2026, announcing that he would direct Defense Secretary Pete 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), unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and any other information connected to these 'highly complex but extremely interesting and important' matters.
Asked directly by reporters aboard Air Force One whether he believed aliens existed, Trump said, 'I don't have an opinion on it. I never talk about it. A lot of people do. A lot of people believe it.' He also accused Obama of disclosing classified information, saying, 'I may get him out of trouble by declassifying.'
Former director of the Pentagon's All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office, Sean Kirkpatrick, pushed back on that framing, tellingScientific Americanthat 'Obama said nothing classified and, in fact, said nothing that hasn't been said in many forums, including in congressional testimony.'
Three days after the directive, Hegseth told reporters the Pentagon was 'working on it' and said his team would be 'in full compliance' with Trump's instructions. 'I don't want to oversell how much time it will take,' he added. 'We're digging in.'
That same week, the White House press office responded to questions aboutLara Trump's claim that the president had a prepared speech on extraterrestrial lifewith a terse denial. 'A speech on aliens would be news to me,' press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, according toTime.
Speaking to an audience in Phoenix on the evening of 17 April 2026,Trump gave his most specific update yet.'This process is well underway, and many very interesting documents have been found, I must say, and the first releases will begin very, very soon,' he said, according toNBC News.
President Trump activates the first phase of Project Blue Beam for the public by announcing that he will immediately release files on the existence of alien life.“This process is well underway, and we’ve found many very interesting documents, I must say.”pic.twitter.com/yOofNCYbBs
Source: International Business Times UK
