Donald Trump has said he will direct the Pentagon and other US agencies to release "government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life".
In a post on Truth Social, the US president claimed his decision was "based on the tremendous interest shown" and called the matter "extremely interesting and important".
He wrote: "Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters."
The announcement came just hours after Mr Trump accused Barack Obama of revealing classified information during an interview released on Saturday in which the former president said he believes aliens are real.
Appearing on Brian Tyler Cohen's podcast, Mr Obama said: "They're real, but I haven't seen them, and 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."
In an Instagram post, the 64-year-old clarified that he meant "the odds are good there's life out there" and said he had seen "no evidence" of alien existence during his term in office".
When asked about Mr Obama's remarks on Thursday, Mr Trump said: "He's not supposed to be doing that.
"He made a big mistake."
Asked if he also thinks aliens are real, Mr Trump responded: "I don't know if they're real or not.
"I don't have an opinion on it. I never talk about it. A lot of people do. A lot of people believe it."
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Earlier this week, Mr Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, suggest on the New York Post's Pod Force One podcast that the president had a speech prepared on aliens that he would deliver at the "right time".
However, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt laughed off any suggestion such a pre-planned speech existed.
"A speech on aliens would be news to me," she said.
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