The question of extraterrestrial life has resurfaced in public discourse after former U.S. President Barack Obama commented on the "reality of aliens” and President Donald Trump announced he would order the release of government files related to aliens and unidentified flying objects (UFOs).
The possibility of life on other planets has long fueled conspiracy theories and inspired science fiction. Recent remarks by Obama and Trump have brought the topic back into the headlines.
While some accuse authorities of hiding findings about extraterrestrial life and being opaque, official sources maintain that no concrete or verified evidence exists.
Mass curiosity about UFOs
The mid-20th century saw a surge of attention toward modern UFO sightings, capturing global interest.
On June 24, 1947, American businessperson and pilot Kenneth Arnold reported seeing strange, fast-moving objects in the sky, sparking widespread public curiosity. Some newspapers described the objects as "flying discs,” popularizing the image.
On July 8, 1947, debris from an object that crashed near Roswell, New Mexico, was initially described by the U.S. military as a "flying disc.” Later, the military retracted the statement, claiming the wreckage was from a weather balloon. The "Roswell incident” has since become a symbol for alleged government cover-ups of extraterrestrial life.
Alien abduction cases
UFO discussions in the U.S. took a new turn in the 1960s with reported alien abductions.
The first widely publicized case involved Betty and Barney Hill, who in September 1961 claimed they were abducted by extraterrestrials in rural New Hampshire. Another notable incident occurred in 1975, when Travis Walton alleged he was abducted in Arizona. Walton’s story was adapted into the 1993 film "Fire in the Sky."
Pilot testimonies
In November 2004, U.S. Navy pilots reported seeing a strange craft off the coast of San Diego that moved in ways defying current technology.
A decade later, other pilots on the U.S. East Coast reported daily UFO sightings from June 2014 to March 2015. The term "Unidentified Aerial Phenomena” (UAP) has since been adopted in place of UFO.
On July 26, 2023, a congressional hearing featured three former intelligence officials discussing the 2004 San Diego sightings.
David Grusch, who spent 14 years in U.S. intelligence, claimed that "intact or partially intact” alien craft exist and that the government concealed information from the public for years. Navy pilot Ryan Graves described UAPs as "dark gray or black objects in a transparent sphere” and said encounters were "not rare.” Former Navy commander David Fravor also testified that he and another pilot saw an oval-shaped object hovering over the sea in California in 2004.
Pentagon findings
A UAP report released by the Pentagon in November 2024 covered sightings from May 1, 2023, to June 1, 2024, including 485 reported UAP incidents. An additional 272 unreported incidents from 2021 and 2022 were also included.
Of the 485 cases, 118 were linked to ordinary objects such as balloons, birds or drones. Investigations into the remaining cases are ongoing. According to the report, the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) has investigated over 1,600 UAP incidents as of Oct. 24, 2024, but has found no evidence pointing to extraterrestrial life or technology.
UAP reports
The National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC), which collects and verifies UFO sightings globally, has handled more than 180,000 cases since its founding.
The United States reports the highest number of incidents, with California leading at over 17,000 cases. Florida follows with 8,831, New York with 6,309, Ohio with 4,704 and Arizona with 5,304. Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia report the next highest numbers.
Public belief in aliens
Polls indicate a growing belief in aliens, especially in the U.S.
A YouGov survey of 1,114 Americans conducted Nov. 4-9, 2025, found that 56% believe aliens "definitely” or "probably” exist. About 30% think UFOs are likely related to alien spacecraft or life forms, while 45% attribute sightings to other explanations. Twenty-five percent remained undecided.
Forty-seven percent of respondents believe aliens have "definitely” or "probably” visited Earth, while 37% believe they have not.
Recent discussions
On Feb. 16, Obama said in a podcast, "They are real, but I haven’t seen them,” prompting widespread social media attention. He later explained that he was keeping pace with rapid-fire questions and noted, "Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there's life out there."
Although other life forms may exist, Obama said the vast distances between solar systems make visits to Earth "unlikely.” He emphasized, "During my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really.”
Trump, in response, criticized Obama for allegedly revealing "secret” information and called it a "big mistake.” Later, Trump announced on social media that, given public interest, he would instruct the Defense Department and other agencies to identify and release files on aliens, extraterrestrial life, UAPs and UFOs.