Pentagon Releases First Batch of UFO Files Following President Trump's Order

On March 21, the Pentagon released the first batch of classified files on unidentified flying objects (UFOs), following an order by U.S. President Donald Trump in February.

The release comprises 162 documents dating back decades, including records from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the State Department, and NASA. Alongside the release, the Pentagon launched a stylized new website to host the files, featuring white typewriter-style font on a black background.

In a statement, the Pentagon drew no conclusions about the photos and documents, noting that many files had only been screened for security and "have not been analyzed to resolve any anomalies."

"While previous administrations sought to discredit or prevent the American people, President Trump is focused on providing maximum transparency to the public, who can ultimately draw their own conclusions about the information contained in these documents," the statement said.

Several government agencies, including the Department of Energy, NASA, the FBI, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, participated in the release.

Mr. Trump has framed the initiative as part of a broader transparency push, similar to his earlier orders to release files related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Those files revealed little new information beyond what was already known.

Trump's February order to release files on UFOs and unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) came amid public furor after former President Barack Obama said in a podcast interview that aliens were "real," though he had never seen any and none were being held in government facilities. Obama later clarified that he "saw no evidence during my presidency that aliens have contacted us."

Critics have accused Trump of using releases on topics of public interest to distract from his political troubles, particularly the Justice Department's handling of investigative files related to financier Jeffrey Epstein. In January, the Justice Department said it had completed the statutory release of Epstein-related files, but lawmakers have repeatedly argued these disclosures appeared incomplete.

In February, Representative Thomas Massie, a leading Republican critic of Trump, blasted the UFO file release as "the ultimate mass distraction weapon."

Sightings and Anomalies

The impact of the new documents remains unclear; they contain no obvious or immediate revelations. One document records an FBI interview with an individual identified as a drone pilot who in September 2023 reported seeing a "linear object" with light bright enough to "see bands in the light" in the sky. "The object was visible for 5 to 10 seconds, then the light went out and the object disappeared," according to the FBI interview. Another document is a NASA photograph from the 1972 Apollo 17 mission showing three dots in a triangle formation. In an accompanying caption, the Pentagon said "there is no consensus on the nature of the anomaly" but a preliminary new analysis suggested it could be a "physical object."

Interest in UFOs and UAPs has persisted for decades across multiple presidencies. In 2022, Congress established a Pentagon office to investigate and declassify related documents. That same year, a House committee held its first public hearing on the subject in over 50 years. The office's first report, released in 2024, revealed hundreds of new UAP incidents but found no evidence that the U.S. government had ever confirmed a sighting of extraterrestrial technology. The report also denied claims that the government had recovered alien technology or confirmed evidence of extraterrestrial life.