--- title: "As Epstein Scandal Tightens, Trump Announces That He’s Releasing All Government Files About Alien Life" description: "President Donald Trump has plenty of work to do to distract from a growing list of crises. His next carrot on a stick: aliens." date: "2026-02-20" modified: "2026-02-20" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/future-society/epstein-scandal-trump-files-alien-life" categories: - "Future Society" - "Military" - "Off-World" - "Science & Energy" - "Space" --- # As Epstein Scandal Tightens, Trump Announces That He’s Releasing All Government Files About Alien Life ![President Donald Trump has plenty of work to do to distract from a growing list of crises. His next carrot on a stick: aliens.]() *Getty / Futurism* President Donald Trump has plenty of work to do to distract from a growing list of crises, from the [release of the Epstein files](), many of which have [implicated him](), to a brewing battle with the Supreme Court, which just [declared his tariffs illegal](). Now, Trump has found the next carrot to dangle: aliens. In a Thursday evening [post on Truth Social](), Trump said that based "on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs)." (What the difference between UAPs and UFOs is unclear, as the former term has conventionally been used by government officials to refer to the latter.) Naturally, the surprising announcement — which likely caught many government officials off guard — was accompanied by Trump [taking potshots]() at his predecessor, accusing former president Barack Obama of revealing "classified" information, referencing [Obama's claim]() that aliens "are real" [during a podcast appearance]() last week. When asked by YouTuber Bryan Tyler Cohen if aliens are indeed real during a "lightning round" segment, Obama demurred. "They're real, but I haven't seen them. And they're not being kept in — what is it? — Area 51." "There's no underground facility unless there's this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States," he added. Days later, Obama further [clarified]() in an *NBC News* interview that he had seen "no evidence" of aliens, suggesting Trump may have woefully misinterpreted his remarks. Whether anything will come of Trump's theatrical promise to direct his agencies to release files on "alien and extraterrestrial life" remains uncertain as ever. The topic of UAPs has gotten plenty of media attention in the last couple of years, culminating in [several]() [releases]() of UFO documents throughout the Biden administration. One hotly anticipated declassified report, which [was released in June 2021](), turned out to be [largely disappointing](), further underlining that the US government still has no idea what had caused several [high-profile UAP sightings](), which were revealed in 2017 in an [exposé by the *New York Times*](). The Pentagon has also been [trickling out documents acknowledging]() its interest in these sightings for many years now. In short, it remains entirely unclear what other documents government agencies may still be holding on to or whether we'll actually learn anything new. What's far more likely is that Trump continues to desperately try to control the narrative — as even Republicans are getting tired of his antics. "They’ve deployed the ultimate weapon of mass distraction, but the Epstein files aren’t going away... even for aliens," representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) [tweeted](). **More on UFOs:** [*There’s Another Reason Flights Have Been So Messed Up Lately: UFO Sightings*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()