The U.S. Department of Defense has released its first batch of previously classified documents on unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), following a direct order from President Donald Trump.
The files, made public on Friday, May 8, 2026, include 162 documents dating back decades. They come from several government agencies, including the FBI, the Department of State, NASA, and others. The release also features a new government website with a distinctive black background and white typewriter-style font.
In its official statement, the Pentagon emphasized that the materials had only been reviewed for security reasons and “have not yet been analysed for resolution of any anomalies.” The department made no conclusions about whether the files show evidence of extraterrestrial activity.
“While past administrations sought to discredit or dissuade the American people, President Trump is focused on providing maximum transparency to the public, who can ultimately make up their own minds about the information contained in these files,” the statement read.
Trump welcomed the release in a post on Truth Social. He wrote that it was an “Honor to direct my Administration to identify and provide Government files related to Alien and Extraterrestrial Life, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, and Unidentified Flying Objects.” He added, “Have Fun and Enjoy!”
The February order to declassify the files came after renewed public interest in the topic. Former President Barack Obama had recently said on a podcast that aliens were “real,” though he later clarified that he saw no evidence of extraterrestrial contact during his time in office. Trump has also linked the UFO release to his earlier pushes for transparency on the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr.
Mixed Reactions
The release has drawn criticism from some who see it as a political distraction. Critics point to ongoing controversy over the Department of Justice’s handling of files related to financier Jeffrey Epstein. In January, the DOJ said it had completed its required release of Epstein documents, but many lawmakers believe key information is still missing. Republican Representative Thomas Massie called the UFO release the “ultimate weapon of mass distraction.”
What the Files Show
So far, the documents do not appear to contain major new revelations. One file describes an FBI interview with a drone pilot who reported seeing a “linear object” with an unusually bright light in September 2023. The object was visible for only five to ten seconds before disappearing.
Another document includes a NASA photograph from the 1972 Apollo 17 mission showing three dots in a triangular formation. The Pentagon noted there is “no consensus about the nature of the anomaly,” but a preliminary review suggested it could be a physical object.
Long-Running Interest
Public and congressional interest in UFOs has grown in recent years. In 2022, Congress created a special Pentagon office to investigate UAP incidents and declassify related materials. That same year, lawmakers held the first public hearing on the subject in more than 50 years. A 2024 report from the office documented hundreds of new sightings but found no evidence that the U.S. government had confirmed any alien technology.
The newly released files will now be available for the public to examine. As the Pentagon suggested, Americans will have to review the information themselves and decide what, if anything, it reveals about unexplained phenomena in our skies.