WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump directed the Department of Defense and federal agencies Thursday to begin the public release of government records related to unidentified flying objects and extraterrestrial life.

Why it matters: The directive marks a significant shift in government transparency regarding unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), following years of internal Pentagon investigations that yielded no proof of alien life.

The big picture: Trump cited “strong public interest” as the primary driver for the order, which he announced via social media. The move was prompted by recent public comments from former President Barack Obama, whom Trump accused—without evidence—of improperly disclosing classified information.

Driving the news:

• The order: Trump directed Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth to identify and release “extremely interesting and important” files.
• The motive: While traveling to Georgia, Trump told reporters he “may get [Obama] out of trouble by declassifying” the records.
• The stance: Despite the order, Trump admitted he has seen no proof that aliens exist, stating, “I don’t know if they’re real or not.”

Flashback: The controversy began after a Saturday interview where Obama told podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen that aliens are “real” but denied they were being held in secret facilities like Area 51. Obama later clarified on Instagram that his comments referred to the high statistical probability of life in the universe, rather than evidence of contact.

By the numbers:

• 2024: A Pentagon report found no evidence of extraterrestrial technology in U.S. records since World War II.
• 2022: Senior military leaders testified they found no signs that aliens had visited or crash-landed on Earth.
• Zero: The amount of evidence found by the National Archives suggesting alien visitors in their existing collections.

What’s next: The Pentagon’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) is expected to manage the review of these files. While the public release may resolve the dispute between the two presidents, most government experts anticipate the records will show ordinary phenomena like weather balloons or drones.