President Donald Trump has announced he will direct government departments to release files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, a move that drew immediate praise from his MAGA allies but scepticism from critics who say it is a distraction from the Epstein case.
In a 65-word post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump said he would order the Secretary of War and other agencies to begin identifying and releasing files on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and unidentified flying objects (UFOs). White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called it 'out of this world news', while Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reposted with alien and salute emojis. Republican Representatives Tim Burchett and Eric Burlison voiced support, with Burlison saying the public has a right to know what their government knows.
However, some online users and at least one Republican lawmaker questioned the timing. Representative Thomas Massie wrote on social media: 'They've deployed the ultimate weapon of mass distraction. But the Epstein files aren't going away… even for aliens.' Other users echoed the sentiment, accusing Trump of diverting attention from the Epstein files.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson pushed back, stating that Trump has been 'totally exonerated' on Epstein, released thousands of pages, cooperated with congressional subpoenas, and signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act. She added that Democrats like Hakeem Jeffries and Stacey Plaskett have yet to explain their ties to Epstein.
The announcement came days after former President Barack Obama claimed on a podcast that alien life exists, saying 'They're real, but I haven't seen them.' Trump criticised Obama, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that Obama took information out of classified files and 'made a big mistake.'
It remains unclear what specific files will be released or on what timeline. In recent years, military veterans have testified about recovered alien craft, and the US Navy released videos of unexplained objects. However, the US government has a history of fabricating evidence to cover up secret weapons programmes, according to reports.
