Trump Announces Upcoming Release of Classified UFO/UAP Government Files

Trump Announces Upcoming Release of Classified UFO/UAP Government Files

April 18, 2026

Overview President Donald Trump has announced that his administration will soon begin releasing previously classified government files related to UFOs and unexplained aerial phenomena (UAPs).

Speaking at a Turning Point USA event in Phoenix on April 17, Trump stated that he recently directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to begin the declassification process. He told the crowd:

“I recently directed the Secretary of War … to begin releasing government files relating to UFOs and unexplained aerial phenomena. And I figured this was a good crowd because I know you people –– you’re really into that, I don’t know if I am.”

Trump added that the review process is already well underway and that officials have uncovered “many very interesting documents.” He concluded by saying the first releases will begin “very, very soon.”

This announcement follows Trump’s February 2026 Truth Social post in which he directed the Department of Defense to identify and release files related to “alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters.”

The remarks come amid ongoing congressional pressure from lawmakers including Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), both of whom have pushed for greater transparency on UAPs.

Face Value Analysis Under the Face Value Approach — literal acceptance of documented statements and observable patterns without ideological filtering — Trump’s announcement represents a significant public step toward greater disclosure on UAP-related government records.

Key observable facts:

• The President has now twice (February via Truth Social and April 17 in person) directed the Pentagon to release files.
• He explicitly confirmed that the process is “well underway” and that reviewers have already found “many very interesting documents.”
• The timing aligns with renewed congressional demands and public interest following multiple high-profile UAP hearings and whistleblower testimony in recent years.

While no specific documents have been released yet, the repeated public commitment from the sitting President, combined with the statement that interesting material has already been identified, indicates tangible movement on long-standing calls for declassification. Whether this leads to meaningful revelations or remains limited to heavily redacted material remains to be seen, but the pattern of presidential-level attention is noteworthy.

Website Sources

• The Hill: “Trump teases upcoming release of UFO documents at Turning Point USA event” → https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5837284-trump-teases-ufo-release/
• Fox News: “Trump says first releases from Pentagon UFO study will come out ‘very, very soon’” → https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-first-releases-pentagon-ufo-study-come-soon-phoenix-rally-tease
• Newsweek: “Donald Trump Teases New Government UFO Files Coming Soon” → https://www.newsweek.com/trump-government-ufo-files-unexplained-aerial-phenomena-release-11846193
• USA Today: “Trump announces Pentagon UFO review ‘found many interesting documents’” → https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/04/17/trump-ufo-pentagon-study/89667855007/
• Reuters: “Trump says UFO review uncovered ‘interesting’ documents” → https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-says-ufo-review-uncovered-interesting-documents-2026-04-17/
• NBC News: “Trump says review of UFO files found ‘interesting’ documents” → https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-says-review-ufo-files-found-interesting-documents-rcna333389
• New York Post: “Trump says Pentagon UFO study will be released ‘very, very soon’” → https://nypost.com/2026/04/18/us-news/trump-says-pentagon-ufo-study-will-be-released-very-very-soon/

Video Sources

• LiveNOW from FOX: Full coverage of Trump speaking at Turning Point USA event in Phoenix (UFO remarks included) → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fygu22vYYPE
• Local Arizona news coverage of Trump’s UFO announcement at the Turning Point USA event in Phoenix → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYXIRVjYlTo
• Fox News: Trump says first releases from Pentagon UFO study will come out ‘very, very soon’ → https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-first-releases-pentagon-ufo-study-come-soon-phoenix-rally-tease

Alien Alerts will continue monitoring developments and any actual document releases as they occur. This remains a developing story.