Obama walks back viral alien remark after podcast appearance

Former US president Barack Obama has clarified comments he made about aliens during a recent interview, after a clip of his response sparked widespread debate online.

Sharing the video on Instagram, Obama explained that his answer was given in the spirit of a rapid-fire segment. He wrote that, statistically speaking, the universe is so vast that the likelihood of life existing somewhere beyond Earth is strong. However, he stressed that the immense distances between solar systems make the chances of alien visitation extremely low.

Obama added that during his time in office, he saw no evidence to suggest extraterrestrials had made contact with Earth. He emphasised that there were no hidden discoveries presented to him while he served as president.

The remarks were originally made during an appearance on a podcast hosted by Brian Tyler Cohen. In a quickfire round, Obama responded to a question about whether aliens are real by saying they are real but that he had not seen them. He also dismissed claims about secret activity at Area 51, joking that any such operation would require a conspiracy so vast it would have to exclude the president himself.

The clip quickly gained traction on social media, with users debating whether his wording implied more than intended. Some expressed surprise that the moment was not explored further in the interview, while others speculated about hidden government knowledge.

Despite his clarification, conspiracy theorists continue to argue that authorities may be withholding information about extraterrestrial life.