TLDR Trump directed agencies to identify and release government files on aliens, UAPs, and UFOs Former President Obama sparked the move by saying “aliens are real” on a podcast Prediction market odds of alien confirmation before 2027 jumped from ~11% to over 26% Trading volume on Polymarket and Kalshi reached millions of dollars after Trump’s announcement The Pentagon said in 2024 it found “no evidence” the U.S. government had encountered alien life
President Donald Trump announced Thursday he would direct federal agencies to release government files on aliens, UAPs, and UFOs. The announcement triggered a sharp rise in prediction market betting on alien disclosure.
BREAKING: Trump orders declassification of all evidence of aliens, UFOs, extraterrestrial life, and unidentified aerial phenomena.
21% chance they’re confirmed. pic.twitter.com/xmjCKsKr0K
— Polymarket (@Polymarket) February 20, 2026
Trump posted on Truth Social that he would direct the Secretary of War and other departments to begin identifying and releasing files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena, and UFOs.
The announcement came after former President Barack Obama said on a podcast last week that “aliens are real.” Trump accused Obama of revealing classified information aboard Air Force One Thursday.
“He’s not supposed to be doing that,” Trump told reporters. When asked if he believed aliens were real himself, Trump said: “Well, I don’t know if they’re real or not.”
Trump called the subject “highly complex, but extremely interesting and important” in his Truth Social post.
This is not Trump’s first engagement with the UAP topic. During his first term, he acknowledged being briefed on UFO sightings reported by Navy pilots.
Other former presidents have also shown interest. Bill Clinton admitted he once sent federal agents to investigate Nevada’s Area 51 military base.
Prediction Markets React
On Polymarket, the contract