The Pentagon on Friday released the first batch of long-awaited government files on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, billing them as containing “never-before-seen” information.
For those hoping for proof of extraterrestrial life, the initial drop was something of a disappointment.
The initial release — containing some 161 files, ranging from declassified State Department papers and firsthand accounts from intelligence officers to Apollo mission transcripts — were accompanied by “unresolved” images of murky skies and small black dots. The tranche included videos in which the dots appear to move and a composite rendering based on eyewitness accounts that displays an “ellipsoid bronze metallic object” that “materialized out of a bright light in the sky” before disappearing.
Definitive evidence of alien life this was not.
“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?” President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social following the drop, telling the American people to “decide for themselves” and “Have fun and enjoy!”
A bipartisan group of lawmakers in Congress has spent years pushing for a release of this nature. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., called the initial drop a clear “win,” saying the release demonstrates that UAPs exist and cannot be dismissed.
“We’re not going to try to hide it,” Luna said. “We’re not going to lie about it, and I think that transparency is the best form of disinfectant, because really, ultimately, it’ll be up to the American people to decide.”
Luna said that she is in ongoing discussions with the Pentagon and expects the next set of files — including more than 40 specific documents that she and others have long sought — within approximately 30 days.
The files will live on a dedicated page on the Department of Defense’s website that features President Trump’s initial Truth Social post in which he called for the Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to “begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life.” In a press release Friday, Hegseth said that the files have “long fueled justified speculation,” and that the department is in “lockstep” with Trump to bring about “unprecedented transparency.”
Disappointed reactions came in reply to the White House’s post on X. One user wrote that the videos looked “like they were filmed on a potato in 2005.” Another called it “the most underwhelming thing” they’d ever seen.
Among UAP researchers, the mood was no more celebratory.
“These are genuine UFO cases, but they are not particularly interesting UFO cases,” UAP analyst Mick West told MS NOW. “The reason they can’t identify these things is pretty simple, really. It’s because they’re too far away. These are little objects — and you’ve seen the videos — [are] usually little white or black specks, and they’re just kind of like, kind of drifting or flying by.”
He added that many of the videos and photos released were not new. Many had already been released by previous administrations.
“It’s basically more of the same,” said West, who has created software that aids in UAP analysis and has appeared on television and in documentaries due to his deep understanding of the topic. “And this is something that the government’s been releasing — releasing documents and videos like this for several years now. This isn’t new.”
When asked if he saw a bombshell coming in any of the future drops, West was skeptical.
“No, I mean, it’d be great if that was true. I’m not seeing anything to back that up.”
Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., welcomed the release, but is ready for more.
“There are other documents right now that could easily be released,” Moskowitz told MS NOW. “The American people know the government knows more, and it’s hiding information. And I think the American people have a right to know, and then they can make their own decisions.”
Mychael Schnell contributed reporting to this article.
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