--- title: "Trump Implies That the US Military Could Defeat Aliens If They Show Up" description: "President Donald Trump is not entirely sure why the Pentagon has an ultra-secretive UFO program. In a Fox News interview over the phone on Sunday, Trump was asked why the Department of Defense has set up a UFO task force. “So Mr. President, are there UFOs?” anchor Maria Bartiromo asked him outright. “Well, I’m going […]" date: "2020-10-14" modified: "2020-10-14" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/trump-military-aliens" categories: - "Military" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "donald trump" - "UFO" - "ufos" --- # Trump Implies That the US Military Could Defeat Aliens If They Show Up ![In a Fox News interview over the phone on Sunday, Trump was asked why the Department of Defense has set up a UFO task force. His answer was perplexing.]() *\Image: The White House/Victor Tangermann\* President Donald Trump is not entirely sure why the Pentagon has an ultra-secretive UFO program. In a [*Fox News* interview]() over the phone on Sunday, Trump was asked why the Department of Defense has set up a UFO task force. "So Mr. President, are there UFOs?" anchor Maria Bartiromo asked him outright. "Well, I'm going to have to check on that," Trump said. "I mean, I've heard that. I heard that two days ago. So I'll check on that. I'll take a good, strong look at that." But then, instead of stopping there, Trump went on to boast about the US military — in an apparent threat to any extraterrestrials who might be out there. "I will tell you this: We have now created a military the likes of which we have never had before," he said, unprompted by Bartiromo. "Russia, China, they’re all envious of what we had. All built in the USA." What are we to make of this complete non sequitur? Is Trump menacing aliens military might, as [*Popular Mechanics* speculates]()? Or is he threatening other nations that could possibly be behind the sightings of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) by Navy pilots since 2004? It certainly wouldn't be the first time Trump has [tossed]() [hollow threats]() at other world powers more based on his current mood than actual evidence. The Pentagon's task force was [made public]() back in August with the task of investigating the sighting of such UAPs. The program had been in operation for many years before that, but remained shrouded in secrecy, as detailed in a [bombshell *New York Times* report]() back in 2017. In April, [three videos]() of such UAP encounters were declassified by the Pentagon, with the Navy confirming that they are authentic. Trump has said in the past that he's skeptical about the existence of UFOs. In a [June 2019 interview with *ABC News*](), Trump acknowledged that he held meetings to discuss the sightings, but said he didn't really think that UFOs were real. "Do I believe it? Not particular," Trump said. Maybe another possibility is just as likely: We're again trying to imbue Trump's strange musings with meaning — an ultimately futile task, as history proves again and again. **READ MORE:** [Trump Acknowledges UFOs, Threatens Aliens With Military Action]() \[*Popular Mechanics*\] **More on UFOs:** *[Congress Is Trying to Force the Military to Release More UFO Info]()* ## 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]()