For those fascinated by extraterrestrial mysteries, the Pentagon’s latest statement might be a bit of a letdown: there’s no evidence that UFOs or aliens have ever set foot on our planet.
During a press briefing on Thursday, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder tackled a series of intense global topics—ranging from the recent death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, precision strikes involving B-2 bombers against military targets in Yemen, to North Korean troops reportedly joining Russian forces in Ukraine. Amid the chaos of international headlines and nonstop election coverage, one reporter decided it was the perfect time to dive into the question on everyone’s mind—UFOs.
Jeff Schogol, from Task & Purpose, a military news outlet, took a lighthearted approach, injecting some humor into the tense press conference. He candidly asked, “Given the news cycle, you could announce anything about aliens or extraterrestrial life, and no one would care,” Schogol said. “So…I’m just going to take the shot. What do you got on UFOs, aliens, etc.?”
Ryder, ever composed, responded, “The truth is out there, Jeff, and the truth is, we have no evidence to indicate extraterrestrial life has visited the planet.” It’s a statement that echoes previous responses given on the topic, reinforcing that despite numerous investigations, there’s no verifiable proof of extraterrestrial visitors.
The Ongoing Search for UFO Answers
Back in July 2022, the Department of Defense (DoD) established the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), tasked with investigating UFOs, or what they officially call unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). The AARO’s goal? To synchronize efforts across U.S. federal agencies to “detect, identify and attribute objects of interest” around military facilities and airspace that might threaten national security—whether they be airborne, spaceborne, submerged, or trans-medium.
Despite these efforts, the Pentagon’s stance has remained unchanged: no credible evidence suggests that UAPs are extraterrestrial in nature.
“The aggregate findings of all USG investigations to date have not found even one case of UAP representing off-world technology,” the March report states.
The document also adds that “authentic sensitive national security programs” have often been mistaken for UFO activity.
Challenging the Conspiracies
The report further dispels rumors about secret government projects involving reverse-engineered alien technology. “AARO has no evidence for the USG reverse-engineering narrative provided by interviewees and has been able to disprove the majority of the interviewees’ claims,” the report clarifies, though it acknowledges that “some claims are still under evaluation.”
Conspiracy theories surrounding UFOs often thrive on public mistrust, intense secrecy, and perceived government cover-ups. As Ryder pointed out, “What we found was that claims of hidden programs are largely the result of circular reporting by a small group repeating what they heard from others and that many people have sincerely misinterpreted real events for mistaking sensitive U.S. programs as UAP or being extra-terrestrial exploitation.”
Growing Interest, Lingering Mysteries
Interest in UFOs continues to grow, even as official conclusions fall short of proving alien contact. From congressional hearings to ‘UFO revolution’ documentaries and viral clips of mysterious objects flying over U.S. military bases, public fascination shows no signs of slowing down.
To add a twist, Ryder confirmed that no evidence indicated any information on UFOs was “illegally or inappropriately” withheld from Congress. It’s a clear message—for now, it’s still us alone on this little blue planet, with no confirmed visits from alien neighbors.
