Trump Requests UFO Files After Obama's Alien Comment

President Donald Trump directed federal agencies on February 19th, 2026, to begin identifying and releasing government files on alien and extraterrestrial life, UAP, and UFOs. The directive instructed the Secretary of War and other relevant departments to begin the process, marking the first time a sitting president had formally tasked agencies with that specific action…publicly. 

The post did not arrive without context. Earlier that same day, during a C-SPAN exchange, a reporter asked Trump about former President Barack Obama’s recent statement that aliens are real, made during a podcast interview with Brian Tyler Cohen. Trump responded by accusing Obama of releasing classified information, and suggested he himself could resolve the situation through declassification. Hours later, the post appeared. 

The groundwork had been laid throughout the week. According to Lara Trump, she told the Pod Force One podcast that her father-in-law had a prepared speech on extraterrestrial life and was waiting for the right moment to deliver it. On February 18th, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked directly at a briefing by Newsmax reporter Mike Carter whether the speech existed and whether the administration believed aliens were real. Leavitt did not deny the speech, stating it would be news to her while adding that she would check with the speechwriting team and would keep reporters posted.

Adding further weight to the week’s developments, Fox News reported in November 2025 that David Grusch, the former Air Force intelligence officer who gave sworn congressional testimony in 2023 alleging a multi-decade Pentagon UAP crash retrieval and reverse-engineering program, stated that Trump had been fully briefed on UAP programs and that members of the current administration were, in his words, very well aware of this reality. The Pentagon has denied Grusch’s core allegations, and NASA has stated it has found no credible evidence of extraterrestrial life.

Missouri Congressman Eric Burlison added another layer in a July 2025 appearance on Redacted, where he revealed that Grusch had personally advised him to attend the Buga Sphere conference in Mexico City in June 2025, run by researcher Jaime Maussan, to examine Nazca mummies recovered in Peru. Burlison stated on camera that Grusch told him the physiology of some of those remains, not all, as Grusch acknowledged some were fabricated, was congruent with what he had reviewed in classified Pentagon briefings. As additional context, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer posted publicly in January 2025 calling for UFO file releases after Trump declassified JFK, MLK, and RFK records, and in 2024 Trump told the Lex Fridman podcast he would declassify alien files if asked.

Sources

C-SPAN. (2026, February 19). President Trump on Barack Obama, aliens and classified information [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-OirPpUzuw

DRM News. (2026, February 18). Hilarious moment: “Exciting though” — Press SEC laughs off Trump Aliens speech rumor | AC1F [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LEkSQrHwlw

Gomez, C. (2025, July 25). Why this congressman traveled abroad to investigate UFOs — Eric Burlison. UFO News. https://www.ufonews.co/post/why-this-congressman-traveled-abroad-to-investigate-ufos-eric-burlison

Gomez, C. (2026, February 16). Obama said Aliens are real then walked it back 24 hours later. UFO News. https://www.ufonews.co/post/obama-said-aliens-are-real-then-walked-it-back-24-hours-later

Leeman, Z. (2026, February 18). Newsmax reporter asks Karoline Leavitt Point-Blank: ‘Does the Trump administration believe aliens ar . . . Mediaite. https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/newsmax-reporter-asks-karoline-leavitt-point-blank-does-the-trump-administration-believe-aliens-are-real/

Nebria, B. (2026, February 19). Will Donald Trump support Barack Obama’s UFO claim? Secret “Alien speech” reportedly ready. International Business Times UK. https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/will-donald-trump-support-barack-obamas-ufo-claim-secret-alien-speech-reportedly-ready-1780253

Redacted. (2025, June 27). Alien Tech? Mysterious UFO orb sparks global panic — US Congressman speaks out | Redacted News [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FKtPxaPdfA