From Believer to Denier to 100% Certain: One Congressman’s Journey Into UFO Programs

Cristina Gomez
Aug 4
3 min read

Vice President JD Vance’s unexpected declaration of being “obsessed with the whole UFO thing” during a podcast appearance has raised eyebrows across Washington, particularly since he has never once mentioned UFOs in any previous public statement or interview. While Vance promises future investigations, other government officials are already making concrete revelations about crash retrieval programs and alien species classifications that could reshape our understanding of what the government knows about non-human intelligence.

Vice President JD Vance made an unexpected revelation during an appearance on the Ruthless Podcast, claiming he is “obsessed with the whole UFO thing” and plans to investigate UAP videos during the August congressional recess. According to the podcast, Vance stated he wants to “dive to the bottom of the whole UFO thing from last year,” despite having never mentioned UFOs in any previous interview or social media post. The timing of this sudden interest raises questions about political motivations versus genuine investigation.

While Vance discusses future plans, members of Congress are already making concrete revelations about existing UAP programs. According to an interview on The Endless Void with Kristin Fisher, Congressman Eric Burlison has evolved from skeptical oversight to making definitive statements about classified programs. Burlison, who serves on both the House Oversight Committee and UAP caucus, began investigating UAPs two years ago when whistleblower David Grusch requested meetings with Congress members. Despite maintaining his skepticism about the phenomenon itself, Burlison believes taxpayer oversight is necessary given government spending on these programs.

The most significant disclosure came during a May congressional briefing when Burlison questioned Pentagon physicist Eric Davis, who holds decades of high-level security clearances. According to Fisher’s interview, Davis detailed four alleged alien species to Congress members, describing “the Greys, the Nordics, reptilians and insectoids.” Davis clarified these entities resemble “a reptile or an insect type humanoid” with heads, four limbs, and torsos, ranging in human-scale sizes. Burlison later acknowledged he should have questioned Davis about his sources, whether the information represented firsthand knowledge or secondhand intelligence reports.

Burlison’s most definitive statement concerned crash retrieval programs. According to the interview, he declared “100% there is a crash retrieval program,” though he distinguished between retrieving advanced terrestrial technology versus extraterrestrial materials. He referenced the Osama bin Laden raid, where advanced helicopter technology crashed and required secure extraction, illustrating legitimate national security reasons for such programs. However, according to testimony from Jacob Barber, who publicly confirmed participation in crash retrieval operations, most recoveries involve domestic or foreign terrestrial technology, with only “rare events” potentially being extraterrestrial.

Separately, Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna has pushed for unprecedented space-based UAP investigation through a public letter to NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. According to the letter, Luna requested NASA assess using the Juno spacecraft to intercept the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, which was discovered on July 1st, 2025. The object represents the third confirmed interstellar visitor to our solar system and the largest at roughly seven miles wide. Luna’s letter cited Harvard Professor Avi Loeb’s research showing Juno could potentially intercept 3I/ATLAS using a Jupiter Oberth maneuver in March 2026, providing an opportunity to study what some researchers speculate could be artificial rather than a natural comet.

The momentum is building toward a September UAP hearing that Burlison describes as seeking witnesses with “firsthand experience with non-human intelligence.” According to the Fisher interview, congressional investigators are moving beyond theoretical discussions to pursue direct testimony from individuals claiming contact with non-human entities. This represents a significant shift from questioning whether UAP programs exist to determining what they have discovered. Burlison categorizes potential witnesses into three groups: friendly witnesses willing to testify, hostile witnesses requiring subpoenas, and those willing to cooperate only under subpoena protection.

According to Burlison’s assessment, he has more hope for transparency today than a year ago, with leadership changes opening opportunities for information previously blocked from disclosure task forces. However, the contrast between Vance’s laughing podcast claims and Congress members making serious confirmations about crash retrieval programs illustrates the difference between political statements and actual investigation. Whether Vance’s August recess plans will produce meaningful results remains questionable given his complete lack of prior interest in the subject, while congressional investigators continue pursuing witnesses who claim direct experience with non-human intelligence.