I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process
The promise
Trump announced in a written post that federal agencies would begin identifying and releasing files concerning extraterrestrial life and unexplained aerial phenomena. He cited intense public interest and named the defense secretary among the officials he would direct. The announcement followed his criticism of Barack Obama's comments about whether aliens exist. The supporting argument was that disclosing government records could improve transparency on a subject surrounded by speculation. The caution was that releasing records of unidentified observations would not by itself establish extraterrestrial life or explain every reported encounter. The post set out a disclosure process without identifying a complete release schedule or promising proof that aliens had visited Earth.
