Washington: Former US President Barack Obama has reignited debate over extraterrestrial life after stating that aliens are “real” — though not in the way conspiracy theories claim.
Speaking on a recent podcast hosted by Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama was asked directly whether he believes in aliens. “They’re real, but I haven’t seen them,” he responded, prompting widespread reaction across social media.
Clarifying his stance, Obama dismissed persistent rumours that the US government is secretly storing alien remains or spacecraft at Area 51. “They’re not being kept in Area 51. There’s no underground lab full of aliens,” he said, adding that concealing such a massive secret would be nearly impossible — especially from a sitting president. “If it were true, I’d probably know.”
Located in Nevada near Groom Lake, Area 51 has long been associated with UFO speculation. US officials have consistently maintained that the site is used for classified aircraft testing and defense projects, not extraterrestrial research.
After his remarks drew global attention, Obama further explained his comments on social media. He noted that given the vast scale of the universe, the statistical likelihood of life existing somewhere beyond Earth is high. However, he stressed that the immense distances between star systems make alien visits to Earth extremely unlikely.
“During my presidency, I saw no evidence that extraterrestrials have made contact with us,” Obama wrote, underscoring that while life beyond Earth may be plausible, there is no verified proof of alien encounters.
This is not the first time Obama has addressed unexplained aerial sightings. In a 2021 television interview, he acknowledged the existence of footage showing airborne objects that remain unidentified. “There’s footage and records of objects in the skies that we don’t know exactly what they are,” he said at the time.
The US government now refers to such incidents as Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs), replacing the term UFO. Public fascination with the topic surged in 2021 when the Pentagon released cockpit videos recorded by US Navy pilots, showing fast-moving aerial objects that officials said remain unexplained.
