Summary
On April 18, 2026, President Donald Trump announced at a Turning Point Action rally in Phoenix, Arizona, that the first public releases from a Pentagon study on unidentified flying objects (UFOs) would occur “very, very soon.” Trump’s remarks, delivered to an audience at Dream City Church, referenced recent discussions with Secretary of War (SECWAR) Pete Hegseth and highlighted the administration’s intent to provide transparency on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs). This announcement follows several years of high-profile congressional hearings, legislative mandates, and executive orders aimed at investigating and disclosing UAP-related information. Key legislative actions include the establishment of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) and the passage of multiple National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs) with UAP provisions. Official statements from Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard and SECWAR Pete Hegseth underscore both the complexity of the declassification process and the administration’s commitment to public disclosure. The coming months are expected to see the first wave of document releases, marking a significant step in government transparency on this issue.
Detailed Report
1. President Trump’s Remarks: UFO Transparency Commitment
Speaking at Dream City Church in north Phoenix during a rally hosted by Turning Point USA and Turning Action, President Donald Trump addressed the audience’s interest in UFOs and UAPs. Trump remarked, “I figured this was a good crowd because I know you people, you’re really into that. I don’t know if I am.” He referenced a recent conversation with SECWAR Hegseth about releasing the findings of a Pentagon study to the public. Trump told the crowd, “We found many very interesting documents, I must say. And the first releases will begin very, very soon. So you can go out and see if that phenomena is correct. You’ll figure it out. Let me know.” He concluded, “But we’ve had a lot of questions. It’s something that — it really captivates the mind, there’s no question about it.” According to Fox News, these remarks were delivered as public and legislative interest in UAPs continues to grow, with the Department of War expanding its investigative efforts.
2. Congressional Hearings on UFOs and UAPs (2022–2025)
A series of congressional hearings over the past four years have brought UAPs into the legislative spotlight:
· On May 17, 2022, the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation, chaired by Rep. André Carson, held the first public UFO hearing in over 50 years. Pentagon officials Ronald Moultrie and Scott Bray testified to over 400 documented UAP incidents, and lawmakers viewed the “Tic Tac” video.
· On July 26, 2023, the House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s Subcommittee on National Security heard from David Grusch, who alleged secret crash retrieval programs and the recovery of “non-human biologics,” as well as Commander David Fravor and Ryan Graves, who described UAP encounters as “not rare or isolated.” The hearing prompted bipartisan calls for stronger whistleblower protections.
· On November 13, 2024, a joint hearing titled “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth” featured Dr. Tim Gallaudet, Luis Elizondo, Michael Gold, and Michael Shellenberger. Testimony included allegations of a clandestine “Immaculate Constellation” program and raised constitutional concerns about executive secrecy.
· On September 9, 2025, the House Oversight Task Force on Declassification of Federal Secrets, chaired by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, heard from Jeffrey Nuccetelli, Alexandro Wiggins, and George Knapp. Rep. Eric Burlison presented drone footage of a Hellfire missile strike on a high-speed orb off Yemen (October 2024), and witnesses called for independent research funding.
3. Legislation and Executive Orders (2022–2026)
In parallel with congressional hearings, a series of legislative actions and executive orders have shaped the government's approach to UAP investigation and disclosure
· The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (Public Law 117-81, signed December 27, 2021) established the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) under Section 1683, mandating standardized UAP reporting, annual congressional reports, whistleblower channels, and records preservation.
· The NDAA for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117-263, signed December 2022) expanded AARO’s authorities, reinforced whistleblower protections, required review of UAP sightings dating back to 1945, and mandated centralized records management.
· The Schumer-Rounds UAP Disclosure Act, introduced in July 2023, originally proposed an independent review board, a presumption of immediate disclosure, a 25-year maximum withholding period, a 60-day NARA deadline, and strict digitization requirements, modeled on the JFK Records Act. The final version, incorporated into NDAA FY2024 (Public Law 118-31, signed December 22, 2023), was significantly diluted: the review board was removed, the presumption of disclosure weakened, and broader national security exemptions allowed. The law mandated a centralized UAP records collection at NARA and prohibited destruction of records.
· Executive Order 14176 (April 2025) directed all agencies to identify and prepare UAP records for “maximum transparency.” NARA released an initial 10,000-page tranche in April 2025.
· H.R. 1187, the UAP Transparency Act, was introduced on February 11, 2025, by Rep. Tim Burchett. The bill would require a 270-day declassification deadline and broadly defines UAPs to include airborne, submerged, and transmedium objects. As of April 2026, it remains in committee and has not been enacted.
4. Key Testimonies from DNI Tulsi Gabbard and SECWAR Pete Hegseth
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, in an August 6, 2025 interview with Miranda Devine on the “Pod Force One” podcast, stated, “I have my own views and opinions. In this role, I have to be careful with what I share. But yes, I do believe in the possibility of extraterrestrial life and UFOs. We’re continuing to look for the truth and share that truth with the American people. I still have a lot of questions around that, because it wasn’t just New Jersey. It was happening in different parts of the country… There’s a lot of classified information about that.” When pressed on classified confirmation, Gabbard replied, “Nothing that I am prepared to talk about today… There are a lot of questions. There’s a lot that’s been put out there. I’m still going through and looking through what do we know and what is it that we don’t know.” She also said, “The president has made clear, if there’s anything that’s credible out there, put it out there for the American people to see, and I would do exactly that.”
SECWAR Hegseth, in February 2026 statements to DefenseScoop and TIME, affirmed, “We’re going to be in full compliance with that executive order, [and we’re] eager to provide that for the president. We’ve got our people working on it right now. I don’t want to oversell how much time it will take, right? [But] we’re digging in. President Trump has been just committed to disclosure on lots of levels, and he’s made it clear that he wants answers on this. He’s given us a responsibility to do it. We’re going to be a part of delivering that.” In a TIME interview, Hegseth added, “It’ll be a deliberative process. Expectations are going to be high, right? I don’t want to over-promise and under-deliver.” When asked by CNN if he believed in aliens, Hegseth responded, “We’ll see. I get to do the review and find out along with you.”
Conclusion
President Trump’s April 18, 2026 announcement signals a new phase in the federal government’s approach to UFO and UAP transparency, with the first public releases from a Pentagon study expected imminently. This development builds on years of congressional scrutiny, legislative action, and executive directives, with senior officials emphasizing both transparency and the complexity of the declassification process. The effectiveness of these measures will be tested as the first documents are released to the public.