US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has stated he will determine alongside the public whether the Pentagon holds records on extraterrestrial life, following an executive order from President Donald Trump demanding the release of all information on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) and unidentified flying objects (UFOs).
President Trump’s directive, issued last week, instructs the Department of Defense to declassify and disclose any documents related to UAPs. The move responds to sustained public curiosity and prior statements from former President Barack Obama, who in a recent podcast expressed a personal belief in the existence of aliens while asserting the US government does not hold any extraterrestrial beings.
Hegseth, when asked about the existence of aliens, told reporters, “We’ll see. I get to do the review and find out along with you.” He described the executive order as unexpected, noting it “was not on my bingo card at all,” and warned against anticipating an immediate release of information.
The Pentagon has maintained an office, the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), for decades to investigate UAP reports. Despite numerous sightings documented by military personnel, no official confirmation of non-human intelligence has ever been issued by US authorities.
Separately, the Trump administration’s emphasis on transparency faces scrutiny over its slower progress on other promised disclosures, particularly the release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This issue has generated significant public debate and, according to reports, contributed to an incident at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence last week. An armed man was shot and killed by security after trespassing on the property; he was identified as a former Trump supporter reportedly angered by the perceived delay in releasing the Epstein files.
The simultaneous focus on UAP disclosure and the Epstein documents highlights ongoing tensions between calls for government openness and the practical challenges of declassification. While the UAP review is now formally mandated, the timeline and extent of any potential release remain undefined, leaving both the public and the new defense secretary awaiting the results of the mandated review.
