Trump and spaceguy
© Carlos Barria/Reuters
In a new twist that will either douse a million conspiracy theories or ignite twice as many new ones, President Donald Trump has said he's met with officials about UFOs, but also that he doesn't "particularly" believe in them.

Speaking to ABC's George Stephanopoulos, Trump revealed that he has been briefed by the military on UFO sightings. "I've seen, and I've read, and I've heard. And I did have one very brief meeting on it. But people are saying they're seeing UFOs. Do I believe it? Not particularly."

Stephanopoulos pressed on, asking Trump if he thought he'd be informed if there was indeed extraterrestrial life out there. "Well, I think my great pilots would know. Our great pilots would know," Trump responded. "They see things a little bit different from the past. So we're going to see. We're watching and you'll be the first to know."

Have the Men in Black gotten to Trump? Does the swamp have him? Who knows. Despite the president's disinterest, the US military has been keeping tabs on the skies of late. After a rise in reports, the Navy recently set new guidelines for reporting "unidentified aircraft" entering US aerospace, ensuring all sightings get the proper scrutiny.


Just last month, the Pentagon admitted it had "researched and investigated" UFOs under its "Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program" (AATIP). Though the AATIP's existence was known about since 2017, Defense Department spokesman Christopher Sherwood revealed that its main focus was investigating UFO phenomena.

The AATIP was closed down in 2012 but, according to Sherwood, the government still has a department to handle alleged sightings of alien aircraft.

Of course, Trump's latest statement could be a clever distraction, while his Space Force prepares itself to make war with intergalactic opponents. So you may want to keep your tinfoil hat on - and your eyes on the skies.