Trump releases government UFO files, with more to come

Under an executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump, the Defense Department released several previously classified documents on UFO sightings on Friday, including photos, videos, and official reports concerning unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). The release is aimed at providing what the government calls unprecedented transparency to the American public, although many of the documents had already been disclosed in the past.

Trump’s action marks the latest step in a long-running process of releasing U.S. government UFO files, which began in the late 1970s. The batch of about 160 files released last Friday includes new videos of well-known UFO sightings but offers no conclusive proof of alien technology or extraterrestrial life. These documents and footage will be followed by future releases as more materials are declassified, the Defense Department announced.

Included in the release is a 1947 report on flying discs, as well as grainy photos of unidentified phenomena taken from the moon’s surface during the 1969 Apollo 12 lunar mission. The release also includes a transcript from the Apollo 17 crew describing unidentified objects seen from the moon in 1972.

Ronald Evans, the pilot of the Apollo 17 mission, reported seeing "a few very bright particles or fragments or something that go drifting by as we maneuver," according to the transcript. “Roger. Understand,” mission control responded.

These files, previously hidden behind classifications, have long been a source of speculation and now, according to Trump, it is time for the American people to view them for themselves. “Whereas previous administrations have failed to be transparent on this subject, with these new documents and videos, the people can decide for themselves, ‘WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?’” Trump stated. “Have fun and enjoy!”

This release was welcomed by U.S. Representatives Tim Burchett and Anna Paulina Luna, both vocal proponents of declassifying UFO files. Luna mentioned that an additional tranche of material would be released within the next 30 days.

Harvard University astrophysicist, Avi Loeb, weighed in on the files, stating in an email to Reuters, "The government has collected records that show UAP are not simply a matter of public curiosity." He added, “The images from Apollo 12 and Apollo 17 are fascinating, but they could be the result of asteroid impacts on the lunar surface.”

Some critics, however, have questioned the timing of the release, suggesting that it may be a distraction from more pressing issues facing the Trump administration, including the military campaign against Iran and the ongoing public pressure for more files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

"I really don’t care about the UFO files. I just don’t. I’m so sick of the ‘look at the shiny object’ propaganda," former Republican U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene commented on X (formerly Twitter).

UAP investigator Mick West stated that much of the information released on Friday had already been disclosed during the administration of former President Joe Biden. “They’re evidence of us not being able to identify a small white dot that's a long distance away,” West said, referring to the newly released UAP videos and images.

Leslie Kean, an independent journalist who co-authored a 2017 New York Times article on the Pentagon’s secret UAP program, stated that while the release shows that the U.S. government possesses a substantial amount of information on UAP, this does not prove they are alien or extraterrestrial. "I think we’ve already proven the existence of UAP, but that doesn’t mean we’ve proven they’re alien or extraterrestrial or that we know what they are," Kean explained.