US president Donald Trump, nudged on by speculative remarks by former president Barack Obama, announced on Thursday that he will release the US's alien files. The instruction was pre-empted by an off-hand opinion by Obama, during a podcast quickfire round, which contained this rather startling view on aliens. “They’re real, but I haven’t seen ‘em.”Obama is hardly the first occupant of the Oval Office to allow that yes, there may well be something else out there. For a few minutes, Obama and Trump were just two guys wondering about flying saucers. And yet I ask you: is not an alien force already among us?”The question remains a live one.

Source: The Irish Times February 21, 2026 16:22 UTC