Trump released the UFO files the government spent decades hiding, but nobody can agree on what they actually prove

The federal government has officially opened the vault on unidentified aerial phenomena, following a direct order from President Donald Trump to make long-secret documents broadly available to the public. As detailed by The Washington Post, these declassified files, which range from grainy video clips to redacted witness interviews, are now hosted at war.gov/ufo for anyone to examine.

Trump shared his thoughts on the release through a post on Truth Social, encouraging Americans to have fun with the data. He noted that previous administrations failed to be transparent on this subject and expressed his desire for the public to decide for themselves what the documents prove.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly reinforced this in a formal statement, noting that the President is focused on providing maximum disclosure. She added that the American people asked for this information, and President Trump delivered.

The files cover everything from Apollo missions to recent sightings

The collection includes input from the Defense Department, NASA, and the FBI. Among the more intriguing items are documents from the 1972 Apollo 17 mission to the moon. One specific file features a photo taken from the lunar surface that appears to show several small dots in the sky, accompanied by a transcript of the astronauts discussing the sighting. The transcript also reflects that the crew acknowledged the possibility the sightings were related to ice or components of their spacecraft.

Other files focus on more recent events, including FBI interviews regarding a strange, cigar-shaped object witnessed at a U.S. test site in September 2023. Included in the release is a composite sketch of that object based on eyewitness descriptions. Perhaps most compelling is a summary of statements from six law enforcement special agents who reported observing unusual phenomena in the western United States over two days in 2023, with descriptions that included orbs launching other orbs. The Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office labeled that specific file as one of the most compelling in its collection.

The government is not claiming to have all the answers. The Pentagon stated that these materials are unresolved cases, meaning no definitive determination has been made on the nature of the observed phenomena. The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office previously contracted the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to test metallic specimens alleged to be of extraterrestrial origin, including a magnesium alloy specimen rumored to be from a 1947 crash, with the lab assessing its elemental and structural characteristics.

Some observers are already questioning the timing. During an interview posted on Thursday, podcaster Joe Rogan spoke with Rep. Tim Burchett about why this disclosure is happening now. Rogan suggested the release could be a distraction from the President’s decision to start a war with Iran, amid escalating tensions between the two countries. Burchett defended the move, stating that he does not think the President is trying to get everyone off-target, and expressed support for the commitment to transparency while reminding the public the process will take time.

The conversation around these phenomena has shifted significantly in recent years. While the term UFO was standard for a long time, the government has transitioned to using “unidentified aerial phenomena,” or UAPs, as the topic has become less taboo. Polls show a majority of Americans believe in the existence of aliens, and former President Barack Obama commented on the subject in February, calling aliens real, though he later clarified he was extrapolating based on the size of the universe rather than speaking from classified knowledge.

The released files also include papers explaining how visual effects like forced perspective and parallax can explain the high speeds or large sizes reported by witnesses, along with detailed information on how sunlight reflecting off man-made satellites, known as satellite flaring, can be misinterpreted as anomalous phenomena. The Pentagon, which has also been at odds with former astronaut Mark Kelly over an unrelated matter, has indicated the government will continue adding files to the repository on a rolling basis.