President Donald Trump has revealed extraordinary accounts from military pilots who reportedly witnessed a mysterious flying object move at speeds far beyond the capabilities of an F-22 fighter jet.
According to Trump, the unidentified object was round, lacked conventional aerodynamic features and passed the advanced fighter aircraft at approximately three times its speed. The president also indicated that he intends to investigate allegations of a secret government program examining unidentified flying objects, particularly claims that such operations could exist without presidential knowledge.
Trump discussed the unusual encounters during an interview with correspondent Ross Douthat that aired Sunday.
Trump Recalls Unusual Encounters Reported by Military Pilots
When asked whether anything he had personally witnessed or heard had convinced him that unidentified objects in the sky might represent something extraordinary, Trump expressed some skepticism.
However, he pointed to conversations with several Air Force pilots who had shared unusual experiences with him at the Oval Office.
“These are not people that you would say are conspiracy theorists – they don’t even know what it means – but they’re great, great pilots,” Trump said, before joking about their appearance.
“Young, handsome, they have beautiful, nice flat tops. I’d like to have a haircut just like them. They look perfect, like Tom Cruise.”
The president emphasized that he considered the pilots credible, describing them as “the real deal” and acknowledging that they had shared accounts he found difficult to explain.
Mysterious Object Allegedly Outpaced an F-22
Among the incidents Trump recalled was an encounter involving an F-22 Raptor, one of the most advanced fighter aircraft in the U.S. military.
According to the president, the pilots described an unidentified object moving past their aircraft at an extraordinary speed.
“They’re flying an F-22, which is the best there is, the fastest, the best plane that anyone’s ever seen,” Trump said.
“And something goes by them at three times their speed. And it’s round. It’s not aerodynamic.”
Trump did not identify the pilots involved or provide details about when and where the alleged encounter took place. He also offered no additional evidence to establish the object’s identity or explain its reported performance.
Nevertheless, the account has renewed attention on military encounters with unidentified anomalous phenomena, commonly known as UAPs.
Trump Promises to Investigate Alleged Secret UFO Program
The conversation also turned to claims made by individuals identifying themselves as government whistleblowers, who have alleged that classified programs investigating UFOs operate beyond the knowledge of elected officials, potentially including the president.
Asked whether he believed such a program could exist without his awareness, Trump said he had not received information supporting the allegation.
“No, and I haven’t heard that,” Trump said. “But if there is, I’m going to find out about it right after this interview.”
The president subsequently acknowledged that “a lot of very solid people” believe the allegations are genuine, although he stopped short of endorsing their claims.
Meanwhile, the White House had not publicly responded to requests for comment on the president’s latest remarks.
Newly Released Pentagon Records Detail Strange Military Sightings
Trump’s comments arrive amid renewed scrutiny of government investigations into unidentified objects reported by military personnel and federal authorities.
Just weeks earlier, the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) released a collection of recently declassified records documenting unexplained sightings spanning several decades.
One particularly unusual 2026 report described an encounter involving federal law enforcement agents who allegedly observed a matte-black triangular object above a mountainous area.
According to their account, the object rose vertically above a ridgeline, remained motionless without producing an audible sound and then accelerated into a canyon at a speed the witnesses compared to that of a fighter jet.
The reported characteristics raised additional questions about the object’s possible propulsion system.
Investigators noted that witnesses observed no visible engines, rotors, exhaust or other conventional means of propulsion. Furthermore, handheld thermal equipment reportedly detected a relatively uniform heat signature across the object’s surface rather than the concentrated heat typically associated with conventional propulsion systems.
Object’s Identity and Actual Speed Remain Unknown
Despite the unusual observations, investigators have not identified the triangular object or established what technology, if any, was responsible for its reported movements.
The Pentagon’s documentation also acknowledged an important limitation: witnesses estimated the object’s speed rather than measuring it with instruments.
Consequently, the comparison with a fighter jet should not be interpreted as a verified measurement of its actual performance.
Still, the latest disclosures, combined with Trump’s account of the alleged F-22 encounter, have brought renewed attention to questions surrounding unidentified objects and the extent of government investigations.
Whether these incidents ultimately have conventional explanations or point to something not yet understood remains an open question.
