Standing in the Oval Office on April 29 with the four astronauts who just flew around the Moon, President Donald Trump made his most vivid comments yet about what the government knows about UFOs.

“They said they saw things you wouldn’t believe,” Trump told reporters. “And you’re gonna be reading about it.”

“We’re going to be releasing a lot of things from what we have, and I think some of it’s going to be VERY interesting to people.”

The remarks came during a White House event honoring the Artemis II crew – NASA Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen – who recently completed humanity’s first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo 17 in 1972. Trump used the moment with astronauts as a springboard for his most direct promise yet that UFO files are coming.

Reuters confirmed the statement separately, quoting Trump as saying his administration “will be releasing as much information as possible on UFOs in the near future.”

Ten Weeks of Escalating Rhetoric

Trump’s language on UFO disclosure has followed a clear trajectory – each statement more specific and more urgent than the last.

DateEventKey Quote
Feb 19Truth Social directive”I will be directing the Secretary of War… to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, UAP, and UFOs”
Feb 23Hegseth at Sierra Space”We’ve got our people working on it right now” – no timeline
Mar 17aliens.gov registeredDomain created by CISA; White House press secretary: “Stay tuned!” with alien emoji
Apr 14Luna’s deadline passesPentagon failed to respond to Luna’s letter demanding 46 classified UAP videos
Apr 17Reporters outside WH”Pretty serious stuff. I just left a meeting on that subject” (on missing scientists); also told Turning Point USA the review found “many very interesting documents” – releases “very, very soon”
Apr 27Pentagon responseDoW “unable to confirm” whether files will go through AARO, aliens.gov, or NARA
Apr 29Oval Office, Artemis II”They saw things you wouldn’t believe! You’re gonna be reading about it… releasing a lot of things”

The pattern is unmistakable: Trump keeps raising the stakes while the bureaucracy he’s directing hasn’t confirmed a single release mechanism.

What the Pentagon Has Actually Done

Behind the presidential rhetoric, the machinery of disclosure has been grinding slowly.

AARO – the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office – confirmed in April that it is “working in close coordination with the White House and across federal agencies to consolidate existing UAP records collections and facilitate the expeditious release of never-before-seen UAP information.”

But when Liberation Times founder Chris Sharp pressed the Department of War on April 27 for specifics, a spokesperson said they were “unable to confirm whether new UFO information being prepared with the White House will be released through AARO’s website.” Sharp also asked NARA – the National Archives – whether it would serve as the release mechanism. No answer.

The aliens.gov domain registered in March showed signs of activity in late April, but nothing has been published there either.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said he’s supportive – “We’ve got our people working on it” – but has not provided a date, a format, or a list of what will be released.

The gap between what the president says publicly and what the Pentagon has confirmed operationally is the central tension of this story.

Congressional Pressure Hasn’t Let Up

While Trump escalates from the top, Congress has been pushing from the side.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna demanded the Pentagon hand over 46 classified military UAP videos by April 14. The deadline passed without compliance – and Luna revealed that someone inside the Pentagon never even forwarded her letter. She’s continued to push, telling reporters on April 29: “I have seen evidence in a SCIF that leads me to believe there are things we cannot explain.”

Rep. Tim Burchett said the same day that he’s seen “miraculous” things in classified briefings and was in the SCIF “yesterday.” His language has escalated from “I’ve seen pictures” (April 6) to “miraculous” in three weeks.

Christopher K. Mellon

Christopher K. Mellon

Former Deputy Asst. Secretary of Defense for Intelligence

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Christopher Mellon, the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence who helped bring the original Navy UAP videos to public attention, warned early on that “the impact will depend on the follow-through.” His concern – that a presidential directive without institutional buy-in would produce nothing – looks increasingly prescient as the weeks pass without a concrete release.

What Could Actually Be Released

Based on reporting and congressional statements, the files in question likely include:

  • The 46 classified military UAP videos that Luna identified from Pentagon records. Rep. Burlison has described at least two: a “metallic silver orb” with “immediate acceleration that defies normal propulsion or physics” and “a ball of plasma” that appears and disappears.
  • AARO’s consolidated UAP records – the office’s caseload exceeds 2,000 cases, including some that remain completely unexplained after expert review.
  • Historical Record Report Volume II – a congressionally mandated report that AARO failed to deliver on time, covering the government’s historical engagement with UAP.
  • Files from agencies beyond the Pentagon – Burlison has called on Trump to demand records from the CIA and DOE as well, suggesting the Pentagon is not the only institution sitting on material.

Jeremy Corbell and George Knapp have said they personally gave Congress the file names and locations of relevant records – including Air Force materials not on the public list.

The “Wouldn’t Believe” Question

Trump’s choice of words matters. “They saw things you wouldn’t believe” implies he has been briefed on specific cases – not just told that a review is underway. “You’re gonna be reading about it” implies a public release, not just a congressional briefing behind closed doors.

Whether the Pentagon follows through – and whether what gets released matches the scale of what Trump is promising – is the question that defines the next phase of disclosure.

Ten weeks in, the president keeps writing checks. The bureaucracy hasn’t cashed a single one.

Sources