Tuesday, February 17, 2026-Former U.S. President Barack Obama ignited a flurry of online conversation this week after saying in a recent podcast interview that aliens are “real”, though he clarified he has not seen any evidence of extraterrestrials or contact with Earth.
During a rapid-fire question segment on the show, he responded to the question “Are aliens real?” with, “They’re real, but I haven’t seen them,” adding that they aren’t being held at secret government facilities like Area 51 — unless an “enormous conspiracy” somehow kept it hidden even from a U.S. president. Obama later explained that he was speaking in the playful spirit of the interview and that the sheer size of the universe makes life beyond Earth statistically plausible, but he saw no proof of alien contact while in office.
The reaction in Washington has been remarkably muted, underscoring how discussions about unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) have shifted into the mainstream. Unlike decades past — when references to extraterrestrial life might prompt ridicule — many lawmakers, scientists, and federal agencies now treat UAP reports seriously, though none have confirmed contact with alien life.
Bipartisan interest in the subject has grown through congressional hearings on aerial phenomena and public release of previously classified sightings, with polls showing a majority of Americans now believing that life likely exists somewhere beyond Earth.
Scientists and government officials emphasize that “real” in this context refers to the possibility of life elsewhere in the cosmos, not verified visits to Earth. Obama himself stressed that vast interstellar distances make actual contact unlikely, and that no credible evidence has emerged that extraterrestrials have been detected or communicated with humanity. Experts continue to study unexplained aerial observations — now officially termed UAPs — but maintain that most likely have mundane explanations pending better data.
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