Trump Initiates Historic Disclosure: US to Declassify Files on Extraterrestrial Life and UAPs

Washington, D.C., February 20, 2026 — A subject once relegated to the fringes of conspiracy theories has officially ascended to the highest levels of American governance. In a move that signals a paradigm shift in federal transparency, the executive branch has issued a direct presidential order to confront the mystery of unidentified phenomena. This decision marks the end of a long era of official silence regarding the nature of objects operating in our airspace.

President Donald Trump, during a high-profile exchange with Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy, confirmed that he is initiating a comprehensive process to identify and declassify government records. These files specifically pertain to extraterrestrial life, Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), and Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). The announcement has sent shockwaves through both the political establishment and the scientific community.

The President’s directive was explicit and far-reaching in its scope. "Given the immense interest shown by the public," Trump stated, "I will instruct the Secretary of Defense—or the Secretary of War, as I like to call it—along with other relevant departments and agencies to begin the process of identifying and releasing government documents concerning alien and extraterrestrial life, UAPs, and UFOs. GOD BLESS AMERICA!"

This monumental announcement was quickly formalized by the White House press office and shared across the President’s Truth Social platform. The digital and traditional media landscape immediately reacted to what many consider the most significant disclosure effort in modern history. Observers noted that the timing of the announcement suggests a strategic move to address long-standing public curiosity.

To understand the weight of this moment, one must look back at the decades of denial that preceded it. Since the 1947 Roswell incident, the United States government has largely maintained a policy of dismissing extraterrestrial technology. However, the shadow began to lift with the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), which operated from 2007 to 2012 under the leadership of Luis Elizondo.

The momentum for disclosure accelerated in 2017 when the New York Times published the now-famous "Tic-Tac" and "Gimbal" videos. These infrared captures by Navy pilots provided the first mainstream evidence that the military was tracking objects with flight characteristics that defied known physics. These revelations forced the Pentagon to acknowledge that these encounters were not mere glitches or hallucinations.

By 2022, the conversation moved into the halls of Congress with a series of public hearings. The most impactful of these occurred on July 26, 2023, before the House Subcommittee on National Security. It was here that the public heard testimony under oath from individuals with impeccable credentials and high-level military backgrounds.

Among the witnesses were Commander David Fravor, the pilot who encountered the "Tic-Tac" object, and Ryan Graves, another former Navy pilot. They were joined by David Grusch, a former intelligence officer who held some of the nation's highest security clearances. Their collective testimony provided a sobering look at the frequency of these unexplained encounters.

David Grusch’s testimony was particularly explosive and detailed. He claimed that, based on interviews with more than 40 high-ranking officials and witnesses with direct access to "black budget" programs, the U.S. has maintained a multi-decade program focused on the retrieval and reverse-engineering of crashed UAPs. This assertion suggested a level of technological advancement hidden from the public eye.

Grusch further alleged that the government is in possession of "non-human biological samples" recovered from these craft. While Grusch admitted he had not personally viewed all the artifacts, he emphasized that his information came from individuals with "direct knowledge" of these clandestine operations. This testimony marked the first time such claims were made under oath in a congressional setting.

A recurring theme in these hearings has been the wall of secrecy maintained through Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) and Special Access Programs (SAPs). Dozens of current and former officials have reportedly confirmed the existence of alien technology but remain legally barred from speaking publicly. They face threats of criminal prosecution and the loss of their security clearances if they break these agreements.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) has been a pivotal figure in this legislative push since 2023. She was instrumental in the creation of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) and held a significant hearing on November 19, 2024, to review AARO’s annual findings. These sessions included both classified and unclassified segments to balance national security with public interest.

The legislative pressure continued into 2025, with House hearings focused on protecting whistleblowers. These sessions reaffirmed that military pilots and intelligence personnel continue to encounter UAPs that pose risks to flight safety. However, many of these individuals remain silent due to the fear of professional retaliation or legal consequences under current secrecy laws.

Consequently, while many officials have already provided testimony under oath, the legal framework of secrecy has prevented the full story from reaching the public. President Trump’s announcement on February 20, 2026, represents the necessary "order from the top" to dismantle these bureaucratic barriers. Without such a directive, the truth would likely remain buried in classified archives.

This directive is not an instantaneous data dump but rather a political mandate to the executive branch to begin the arduous work of declassification. The coming months will reveal how the Department of Defense and various intelligence agencies respond to this presidential command. These institutions have resisted transparency for decades, citing national security concerns as a primary defense.

Regardless of the speed of the rollout, the fact that a sitting President has officially utilized terms like "alien and extraterrestrial life" marks a historic turning point. The world now waits to see if the bureaucracy will comply with the order or attempt to obstruct the path toward total disclosure. This moment may well be remembered as the day the truth finally began to emerge.