White House releases more records on UFO sightings

The Trump administration on Friday released a sweeping cache of government records, videos and reports related to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs), the official term for UFOs.

Why it matters: The disclosure is part of a wave of releases shedding light on the U.S. government's examination of such sightings, which have been the subject of many conspiracy theories.

Zoom in: The documents indicate that government agents have spent years monitoring, investigating and documenting suspected UAP incidents.

• At lease some of the sightings took place near sensitive government facilities, according to the reports.

Among the items in the tranche:

• Videos showing red and yellow light-emitting orbs, some of which appear to split apart and then reattach as they fly across the sky. The videos were taken by witnesses whom the government deemed "credible."
• Illustrations and videos showing reenactments of what observers saw, and the positions they were in when they viewed them.
• Memos from government agents describing their experiences seeing flying objects.
• An illustration of a grayish-white balloon-like object hovering above an area near Colorado Springs, Colo.
• An illustration depicting a series of incidents that took place in the "western United States" where government officials reported seeing UAPs in 2023.

There also are decades-old records documenting the government's involvement in investigating UAPs, including a letter then-FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover wrote federal agents after receiving a message from an American citizen expressing their belief they'd seen a non-human-made flying object.

Yes, but: The records released by the administration do express any conclusions as to whether the government believes the UAPs represent the existence of alien life.

• They also do not indicate any conclusions as to whether UAPs represent a national security threat to the U.S.

The backstory: Trump set the disclosure effort in motion on Feb. 19, directing federal agencies to identify and begin releasing records related to UAPs, UFOs and alleged extraterrestrial phenomena. The first tranche of files followed on May 8 as part of a broader declassification push. Another tranche was released May 22.

• Trump's move Friday came days after former President Obama reignited public interest in UAPs with widely publicized comments about unexplained sightings.
• UAPs have long been a subject of social media banter among Trump's MAGA supporters, wrapped in various conspiracy theories about the government's "deep state" hiding details of extraterrestrial phenomena from the public.

Friday's disclosures also come as Trump is under fire for rising inflation, a frustrating war with Iran, and congressional backlash to his temporary appointment of developer Bill Pulte as the nation's intelligence czar.

• Meanwhile, Steven Spielberg's new film about extraterrestrial beings, "Disclosure Day," happens to open on Friday.