Hegseth: We're on That Review of UFO Files

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth says the hunt for whatever the government knows about UFOs is officially on. Speaking Monday during a visit to aerospace firm Sierra Space in Colorado, Hegseth said the Defense Department is now sorting through files on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and possible extraterrestrial life, following President Trump's order to identify records for public release. "We've got our people working on it right now," he told reporters, per Time, adding that the Pentagon intends to fully follow the directive but warning, "I don't want to oversell how much time it will take." Asked if he believes aliens exist, Hegseth replied, "We'll see. I get to do the review and find out along with you."

Last week, Trump said he was directing federal agencies "to begin the process of identifying and releasing government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life," including unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and UAP, in response to intense public curiosity, per Newsweek. Former President Obama fueled interest with recent podcast comments in which he said aliens are "real," though he later said he was referring to the statistical likelihood of other life in the universe and denied seeing evidence that aliens have visited Earth. Hegseth, who joked the new assignment "wasn't on my bingo card," urged reporters to "standby" for updates.