Trump declassifies UFO files in transparency push

WEB DESK: President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have released dozens of previously classified documents concerning unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), more commonly known as UFOs.

The disclosure, made on Friday, marks a significant shift in government policy, with the administration promising a new era of openness regarding alleged extraterrestrial encounters and unidentified aerial sightings.

Apollo lunar mysteries and historic sightings

The declassified cache, comprising roughly 170 files, includes high-profile records dating back to the late 1940s.

Among the most intriguing documents is a 1947 report detailing “flying discs,” alongside photographic evidence captured during the Apollo 12 mission in 1969.

The release also features transcripts from Apollo 17 in 1972, where mission pilot Ronald Evans described seeing “bright particles or fragments” drifting past the spacecraft during manoeuvres.

While Mission Control’s response was characteristically brief, the publication of these exchanges is expected to reignite intense debate over what astronauts may have witnessed during the lunar programmes.

A victory for transparency advocates

The move has been hailed by transparency campaigners, including US Representatives Tim Burchett and Anna Paulina Luna, who indicated that a further tranche of documents is expected within the next 30 days.

In a characteristically blunt statement, President Trump challenged the public to examine the evidence, asking, “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?” and suggesting that previous administrations had intentionally kept the public in the dark.

Avi Loeb, a prominent Harvard University astrophysicist, noted that the release confirms the government has long been collecting formal records on these phenomena, moving the conversation beyond mere speculation.

Defence Secretary Hegseth added that the secrecy surrounding these files had “long fueled justified speculation,” asserting that the American people deserve to see the materials for themselves.