Questions about what the federal government may know about extraterrestrial life in the cosmos — or possibly even here on Earth — have inspired imaginations, conspiracy theories, sci-fi literature and blockbuster films. Answers to some of those questions could finally become public after President Trump’s call last week for the release of files related to UFOs or any “alien and extraterrestrial life.”Mr. Trump posted on social media that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other agency heads should “begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters.”His announcement came after former President Obama told a podcaster who asked about aliens, “They’re real, but I haven’t seen them.” He later clarified that he never saw evidence during his time in the White House and just meant that “statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there’s life out there.” Mr. Trump told reporters he isn’t sure if aliens exist but suggested his predecessor may have been referring to “classified information.”AdvertisementAdvertisementWith the release, the American public could learn what, if anything, the government has documented about the unexplained sightings, such as one seen in a video made public last year by a member of Congress showing a U.S. missile striking an unidentified glowing orb in the sky and appearing to bounce off it.There were more than 750 new UAP sightings between May 2023 and June 2024, according to a government report. While these instances may currently be unexplained, experts said one benefit of releasing the files may be that scientists, analyzing the data, can help provide factual explanations.Sean Kirkpatrick, former top government UFO investigatorSean Kirkpatrick, the first director of the U.S. …
