The Pentagon released 162 declassified files Friday detailing nearly 80 years of UFO sightings, fulfilling President Trump’s February executive order demanding full transparency on unidentified aerial phenomena and extraterrestrial life.

Trump Administration Delivers on Transparency Promise

The War Department’s document dump follows Trump’s prediction earlier this week that Americans would find the revelations “very interesting.” The files include intelligence reports, FBI case files with eyewitness testimony, NASA astronaut transcripts reporting unidentified objects during missions, and newspaper clippings from the 1950s. “The American people can now access the federal government’s declassified UAP files instantly,” the Pentagon announced, adding that “past administrations sought to discredit or dissuade the American people” while Trump focuses on maximum transparency.

The disclosure represents the largest single release of UFO-related materials in American history. Many FBI files contain notes admitting portions had already been “partially” made public, but the centralized database now provides citizens instant access without security clearance requirements. The move fulfills a core campaign promise from Trump to end decades of government secrecy surrounding unexplained aerial phenomena.

Former Pentagon Official Tempers Expectations

Sean Kirkpatrick, a physicist who led the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office until 2023, warned against expecting bombshell revelations. “Readers should not get their hopes up that there’s going to be some document with photos, interviewing the aliens when they came down,” Kirkpatrick told reporters this week. He explained that viral videos showing pill-shaped objects typically result from infrared cameras capturing jet engines in thermal bloom, not alien technology.

Congressional Republicans Push for More Answers

Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida claimed on Joe Rogan’s podcast she has seen evidence of “interdimensional beings” and accused the Pentagon of inadequate transparency. Vice President JD Vance declared himself “obsessed” with the files, saying he has been trying to investigate Area 51 since taking office. Vance told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson in March that he believes most alien sightings are actually glimpses of demonic figures. The Pentagon’s 2024 AARO report revealed hundreds of new unexplained incidents but found no confirmed sightings of alien technology. A second report covering recent sightings will be released soon.