Trump justified his decision by the "significant interest" of the public in this topic.
The president stated: "I am instructing the Secretary of Defense and other relevant agencies to begin the process of declassifying and publishing government files related to alien life, unidentified aerial phenomena, and other related topics that represent extremely interesting and important questions."
Earlier, Trump, speaking with the press, accused his predecessor Barack Obama of leaking classified information, mentioning the former president's recent remarks about the possibility of extraterrestrial existence. He believes that Obama "should not have done that" and "made a serious mistake." However, Trump did not specify which particular secrets Obama touched upon.
As reported by Reuters, in an interview conducted by Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama was asked about the existence of aliens. The recording of this interview was released last week. "They exist, but I haven't seen them and I don't keep them in... Area 51. There are no underground bases, unless it's part of some global conspiracy that is being hidden from the President of the United States," he replied.
Later, Obama posted on Instagram to clarify his words about extraterrestrial life. He pointed out that given the vastness of the universe, the probability of life existing is not limited to Earth alone. "During my presidency, I had no evidence that aliens had contacted us," he added.
Reuters emphasizes that Obama's statements contain no signs of disclosing confidential information.
