Do aliens exist? Barack Obama says yes but rules out hidden Area 51 conspiracy

Former US President Barack Obama has reignited debate over extraterrestrial life and unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) after accepting in a new podcast interview that aliens are "real," while rejecting conspiracy theories that they are hidden in secret US facilities.

Obama made the remarks during a wide-ranging conversation with YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen, when asked directly about the existence of aliens. "They’re real, but I haven’t seen them," he said, offering no further clarification on what he meant by "real."

He also rejected speculation that alien technology or bodies are concealed at Area 51, the highly classified US Air Force facility in Nevada often associated with UFO conspiracy theories.

"They’re not being kept in Area 51, there’s no underground facility, unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the President of the United States," Obama said.

INSIDE THE AREA 51 CONSPIRACY NARRATIVE

Area 51, located in the Nevada desert near Groom Lake, has for decades been linked to claims that the US government recovered extraterrestrial craft and biological material. Officials have repeatedly denied such allegations, stating the base is used to test experimental aircraft and defence technologies.

Obama’s comments align with previous statements he has made admitting unexplained aerial sightings while disputing claims of secret alien programmes. In a 2021 television interview, he confirmed that US authorities possessed authentic footage of objects in the sky that defied easy explanation.

"But what is true — and I’m actually being serious here — is that there’s footage and records of objects in the skies that we don’t know exactly what they are," he said at the time.

RECENT UFO DISCLOSURES FUEL INTEREST

Public interest in extraterrestrial life and UFOs has intensified in recent years following the declassification and release of military videos showing unusual aerial objects tracked by US forces.

In 2021, the Pentagon released three Navy cockpit videos capturing unidentified objects moving at high speed and, in one case, appearing to rotate against the wind. The incidents were officially categorised as UAPs, a term adopted by US defence agencies to describe aerial objects whose origin and capabilities remain unknown.

Earlier this month, reporters and UFO researchers George Knapp and Jeremy Corbell circulated radar footage reportedly recorded by US Air Force Reaper drones more than a decade ago in the Middle East. The video was said to show airborne objects lacking visible propulsion systems, though authorities have not publicly confirmed details of the incident.

Obama has previously struck a cautious tone on the subject, hinting at undisclosed information while emphasising uncertainty. In a 2021 appearance on "The Late Late Show," he joked: "When it comes to aliens, there are some things I just can’t tell you on air."

Despite recurring political and public fascination, US officials have consistently stated there is no confirmed evidence that UAP sightings involve extraterrestrial technology or life.

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