President Donald Trump, in a Truth Social post on Feb. 19, indicated his intentions to direct his administration to release any files related to unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), colloquially referred to as UFOs.
“I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, [UAP], and [UFOs], and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters,” the post read.
Over the past several years, the issue of UAPs has evolved from a largely speculative topic to one increasingly treated by lawmakers and defense officials as a matter of national security.
For lawmakers, the most pressing UAP-related concern is the lack of transparency from the Pentagon and the intelligence community.
Public and congressional pressure led to the establishment of the Department of Defense’s (DOD) – rebranded as the Department of War by the Trump administration – All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) in 2022 under the Biden administration. AARO reached full operational status in 2024.
Lawmakers, however, say its activities remain too opaque, citing limited public disclosure about its dozens of active UAP investigations.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., wrote on X that she has pushed for years for increased disclosure and transparency around UAPs. She said her work to establish and strengthen AARO has improved interagency coordination, data collection, and public engagement, but added that more work remains.
“I urge the administration to follow through on this directive and I will keep fighting to elevate this issue in Congress so that we can reduce the stigma around reporting and ensure UAP records are being properly disclosed and made public,” Gillibrand wrote.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., wrote on X that as chairwoman of a task force investigating the subject, she welcomed the move and said she looked forward to reviewing footage, photos, and reports with the public.
Congress mandates UAP briefings
Congress has also taken steps to increase transparency, with the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act giving the DOD’s UAP office three specific mandates, including expanded briefings to lawmakers.
Under the measure, AARO must account for all security classification guides that govern UAP-related reporting and investigations. According to the NDAA provision, the director may issue a consolidated classification matrix for programs affected by UAP inquiries, and information on these guides must appear in AARO’s 2026 annual report.
The legislation also eliminates duplicative reporting requirements and streamlines how UAP-related data is provided to AARO. AARO also must provide expanded congressional briefings on UAP intercepts conducted by U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command.