Obama explains alien comments after claiming ‘they’re real’ on podcast interview
FILE-Former President Barack Obama speaks at a Democracy Forum event held by the Obama Foundation at the Javits Center on November 17, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Former President Barack Obama clarified remarks he made about the existence of aliens during a recent podcast interview that spurred speculation online.
Obama shared his views on aliens while appearing on Brian Tyler Cohen’s podcast.
What did Obama say about aliens?
What they're saying:
In a lightning round of questions with podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen, the former commander-in-chief was asked, "Are aliens real?"
"They’re real," Obama answered, continuing: "But I haven’t seen them. And, they’re not being kept in Area 51."
RELATED: Trump shares video of Obamas as apes in Truth Social post
Obama later released a statement on Instagram Sunday clarifying what he meant by his views on aliens.
"I was trying to stick with the spirit of the speed round, but since it’s gotten attention let me clarify. Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there’s life out there. But the distances between solar systems are so great that the chances we’ve been visited by aliens is low, and I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!"
The former president’s opinions on aliens aren’t the first time he’s shared thoughts on them. In 2021, Obama made an appearance on "The Late Show with James Corden," FOX News reported.
RELATED: Viral CIA file about aliens attacking soldiers takes off with UFO intrigue
Obama said that after taking office, he sought information on aliens and whether they were being studied in a secret lab. He was told the answer was "no." He added that officials are seriously investigating aircraft that behave in seemingly unexplainable ways.
"There is footage and records of objects in the skies that we don't know exactly what they are," Obama said at the time. "We can't explain how they moved, their trajectory. They did not have an easily explainable pattern. I think people still take seriously trying to investigate and figure out what that is."
Area 51, a top-secret Cold War test site in the Nevada desert, has generated conspiracy theories for years among UFO fans. The Associated Press reported that the CIA in 2013 conceded the existence of Area 51, but not UFO crashes, black-eyed extraterrestrials, or moon landings.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by an Instagram post from President Barack Obama, FOX News, and the Associated Press, which cites Obama’s comments from the podcast interview. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.