Trump says review of UFO files found ‘interesting’ documents

Washington: United States President Donald Trump said on Saturday that a review ordered by his administration into government material related to UFOs had turned up what he described as notable documents, and said the first batch of records would be made public soon.

Speaking to supporters at an event organised by the conservative group Turning Point USA, Trump said the review had produced material he considered significant.

“We found many very interesting documents, I must say, and the first releases will begin very, very soon so you can go out and see if that phenomenon is correct,” he stated.

Trump had directed US agencies in February to begin releasing government files concerning UFOs, unidentified aerial phenomena and possible extraterrestrial life. The move was described as being driven by strong public interest in the subject.

Trump ordered the review after accusing former president Barack Obama of improperly sharing classified information when Obama said aliens were real during a podcast interview.

Obama later clarified that he had not seen evidence of extraterrestrial contact while he was in office, though he said the statistical likelihood of life beyond Earth remained high.

Review ordered earlier this year

The latest remarks indicate that the administration is preparing to begin releasing records from the review in stages. Trump did not provide a specific date for the first disclosure in his comments at the event, but said the releases would start soon.

The issue of unidentified flying objects and related government records has drawn sustained public attention in the United States in recent years. In this case, Trump linked the forthcoming disclosures directly to the review initiated by his administration earlier this year.

It also did not specify how many records would be included in the initial release.

Trump’s comments came in the context of a broader push by his administration to declassify and publish material related to unexplained aerial sightings and questions about possible extraterrestrial life.

Obama’s earlier remarks, which were cited in the report as part of the backdrop to Trump’s decision, were later qualified by the former president himself. While Obama said he had seen no evidence of extraterrestrial contact during his presidency, he also acknowledged the probability of life existing elsewhere.

Trump’s latest statement suggests that the administration intends to move ahead with public disclosure of at least part of the reviewed material in the near future.