Sunday, February 08, 2026

"Aliens? Where?"

Here's an interesting discussion from Rick Donaldson, N0NJY (Ham Radio For Preppers) on the evidence - or lack thereof - of whether we are alone.  (For the record, during my flying days, I never spotted a UFO, but I have to admit, I've been one on occasion.  But I digress.)

Some decades ago when I was a young fella, I got involved in reading about UFOs in general, because I read a book called “The Interrupted Journey” by John Fuller. It was the story of Betty and Barney Hill of Portsmouth, NH, who were driving home from Canada on the night of 9/19/1961, when they sighted a “flying saucer”. The encounter left them shaken. The book left me curious. As a young lad I’d already begun the study of various sciences, including, but not limited to astronomy. The book made me question the idea we “are alone” out here in the Galaxy.

Over many decades I read, and have remained “skeptical” about UFOs, or what are now termed “UAPs” (Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon) but just skeptical enough to NOT believe everything I read, see or hear about. But, also not, skeptical enough to believe we’re completely alone. I seriously doubt we’re alone. The US Government (and other governments) have begun to “come clean” about many things over the last 15 years when it comes to such things, but nothing yet has come to the point of absolute proof. There are things like “The Disclosure Project” where many alleged government whistle blowers have come forward, and many are very interesting, believable persons—pilots, engineers, military, contractors and so forth—who I am hard pressed to disbelieve.

Now, you might ask why is N0NJY writing about this in a “Prepper” and “Amateur Radio” blog? Because, it’s simply something that interests me, and, truthfully, I know many of you out there wonder as well. I will also state, for the record that I have personally seen “evidence” that there are indeed “biological entities” of some sort that have had contact with the US government. (Is it true? I don’t know for sure, but given the circumstances under which I saw this evidence I can only say I can’t DISBELIEVE it is true).

I spent 27 years in the US Air Force. Eight of those years I served as a Senior Radio Technician for Reagan and Bush in the White House Communications Agency. I traveled with those two President Reagan and Bush as VP and later President, and traveled with former Presidents Carter, Nixon and Ford, first Ladies and other VPs. I had a Top Secret SCI clearance for that time, and most of my eighteen years with Missile Defense as well. Obviously, I can not, and will not disclose classified information but I am not some guy on the street who “believes” in conspiracy theories or made up nonsense that many put out on the Internet. Instead, I DO spend time digging through white papers, articles, and gleaning facts and data from real sources, not newspapers and questionable “journalists” these days. The “Legacy Media” is ridiculous most of the time, choosing to base many stories on their ability to spin a story, leave out crucial information, misquote, and/or remove context allowing them to change how a story is perceived.

"Reality is irrelevant; Perception is everything." - Terry Goodkind, Fantasy Author.

A similar quote from Lee Atwater in the 1980s stated, “Perception is Reality”.

I would like for my readers to stop focusing on perception, and focus instead on facts. My belief is clear. There is no such thing as “Truth”. There is no “Your Truth” or “My Truth”. There are ONLY facts. Facts with contextual, clear, concise statements of verifiable information.

Anything else is conjecture, assumption, belief or guessing and can not truly be taken as fact or truth.

What has any of this to do with UFOs? Or Extraterrestrial Biological Entities? Well, without pure facts we can only “surmise” that something is real. Sure, I’ve personally observed three things in the sky in my life which I can only construe as “UFOs”. One, I was able to identify myself sometime late. The other two are still unknown to me, therefore unidentified, flying “things” I saw in the sky. I just don’t know though, what they are. Never will.

Over the years, Presidents have been “known” to “try to find out” and we’ve been told things like “were denied information” about UFOs and so forth. The fact is, those are mis-stated pieces of information, lies at worst or at best misunderstanding by those writing such things.

The fact is, ANY President who is holding office is the defacto authority on anything classified, especially where National Security is concerned, and any such information would be freely given to them as the Executive. (Why U.S. Presidents Don’t Hold Formal Security Clearances: A Detailed Explanation)

In the end, I would caution careful skepticism in all things, whether it be “UFOs”, “politics on either side”, Amateur Radio arguments on the Internet (as to whether using computers in radio is ‘real radio’ or digital modes aren’t ‘real radio’ etc). Most stories have at least two sides, and almost all stories have more “perspective” than a single author would have you believe. In fact, please, feel free to check ANYTHING I tell you and make your own opinion based on what YOU discover as “verifiable facts”.

All of this said, I will now give you my reasons for writing this:

Have U.S. Presidents Ever Been Denied Access to UFO/UAP/EBE Information? A Detailed Examination

The question of whether sitting U.S. Presidents—possessors of plenary constitutional authority over national security—have been denied access to classified information related to unidentified flying objects (UFOs), unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), or extraterrestrial biological entities (EBEs) touches on one of the most debated aspects of government secrecy. While Presidents hold inherent access to classified material under Executive Order 13526 and precedents like Department of the Navy v. Egan (484 U.S. 518, 1988), historical accounts suggest that extreme compartmentalization, “need-to-know” restrictions, and unacknowledged special access programs (USAPs) may have limited presidential oversight in this domain. These claims often originate from whistleblowers, former officials, and researchers, though many remain unverified or contested by official sources such as the Department of Defense (DoD) and Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). Below is a balanced overview of reported instances of alleged denials, alongside documented releases of UAP-related information. It is highly unlikely that any aspect of National Security, including alleged instances of contacts with ETs would be denied to a President based on a Special Access Program especially due to the nature of the President being the final arbiter of classified information.

Reported Instances of Presidential Denials or Limited Access

Jimmy Carter (1977–1981)

Jimmy Carter, who personally reported a UFO sighting in 1969 (later attributed by him to a non-extraterrestrial source), campaigned on transparency regarding UFOs. During the 1976–1977 transition, he reportedly requested classified UFO files from outgoing CIA Director George H.W. Bush. According to accounts from UFO researchers like Grant Cameron and Steven Greer, Bush declined, stating that mere “curiosity” did not meet the “need-to-know” threshold and suggesting Carter pursue the matter through Congress. Carter later distanced himself from full disclosure, citing national security concerns. While Carter has publicly denied any government cover-up of extraterrestrial visits, this episode is frequently cited as an example of intelligence community autonomy over sensitive UFO data.

Sources: Wikipedia entry on Jimmy Carter UFO incident; various historical accounts in UFO literature and media reports from the 2000s–2020s.

Bill Clinton (1993–2001)

Clinton expressed public curiosity about UFOs, including Roswell, New Mexico. He tasked Associate Attorney General Webster Hubbell with investigating UFOs (alongside the JFK assassination), though Hubbell later expressed dissatisfaction with the responses. In a 1995 speech in Ireland, Clinton humorously remarked: “No, as far as I know, an alien spacecraft did not crash in Roswell... and if the United States Air Force did recover alien bodies, they didn’t tell me about it, either, and I want to know.” Clinton’s science adviser initiated a CIA review in the 1990s, but results were limited, with the agency stating no active UFO involvement post-Project Blue Book (ended 1969). Clinton has since said he found no evidence of aliens, though skeptics interpret this as reflecting compartmentalized information rather than full access.

Sources: Clinton’s public statements (e.g., ABC News interview, 2014: https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2014/04/bill-clinton-wouldnt-be-surprised-if-aliens-exist); Salon article (2018: https://www.salon.com/2018/01/28/bill-clinton-and-ufos-did-he-ever-find-out-if-the-truth-was-out-there).

John F. Kennedy (1961–1963)

A purported top-secret memo dated November 12, 1963 (ten days before Kennedy’s assassination) allegedly shows him requesting a CIA briefing on UFO intelligence files, including those shared with NASA. The document, obtained via FOIA and discussed by author William Lester, calls for organizing CIA UFO files and briefing on “unknowns.” While the memo’s authenticity is debated (some view it as potentially forged, and the JFK Library has no record), it aligns with declassified records of Kennedy’s interest in space intelligence during the Cold War. Conspiracy theories link this inquiry to resistance from intelligence elements.

Sources: NBC News (2011: https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna42704241); Daily Mail (2025 reprint: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14481929/memo-JFK-probed-CIA-release-UFO-files-assassination.html); Popular Mechanics (2023: https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a44575754/new-cia-documents-jfk-assassination-ufos).

Barack Obama (2009–2017)

Obama reportedly inquired about alien specimens or spaceships upon entering office and was told “no” by advisors. In a 2021 interview on The Late Late Show, he stated: “When I came into office, I asked... is there a lab somewhere where we’re keeping the alien specimens and spaceship? And... the answer was no.” He acknowledged unexplained UAP footage but emphasized no confirmed extraterrestrial evidence.

Sources: CNN (2021: https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/19/politics/barack-obama-ufos); The Hill (2021: https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/554111-obama-i-asked-about-aliens-was-told-no).

Donald Trump and Broader Patterns

Trump has been briefed on UAPs but expressed skepticism, finding no extraterrestrial evidence. Whistleblower David Grusch (former intelligence official) testified in 2023 that he was denied access to a multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse-engineering program, alleging non-human “biologics” were recovered. Grusch claimed such programs operated without congressional or presidential oversight in some cases, though the Pentagon has denied verifiable evidence of extraterrestrial materials.

Sources: Grusch’s 2023 congressional testimony; NPR coverage (2023: https://www.npr.org/2023/07/27/1190390376/ufo-hearing-non-human-biologics-uaps); CBS News (2023: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ufo-hearing-congress-uap-takeaways-whistleblower-conference-david-grusch-2023).

These accounts suggest systemic barriers via USAPs or waived programs, though official denials emphasize no confirmed extraterrestrial activity.

Declassified Information on UFOs, UAPs, and Related Topics: Specific Examples

Pressure from Congress and public interest has led to incremental transparency, focusing on UAPs as potential national security threats rather than extraterrestrials. The U.S. government, along with other nations, has declassified numerous documents, reports, and media related to unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs) over the decades. These releases often stem from Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, congressional mandates, or agency reviews, and they primarily focus on historical investigations, sightings, and analyses rather than confirming extraterrestrial origins. Most emphasize unexplained aerial phenomena as potential national security or aviation safety concerns, with no declassified evidence of non-human intelligence. Below, I’ll outline specific examples, including descriptions, key findings, release dates where known, and direct links to sources or documents. These are drawn from official repositories like the National Archives, FBI Vault, CIA Reading Room, NSA, ODNI, and DoD’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO). I’ve prioritized verifiable, primary sources for accuracy.

1. Project Blue Book (U.S. Air Force, 1947–1969)

Description: This was the U.S. Air Force’s systematic study of UFO sightings, compiling over 12,618 reports from civilians, military personnel, and pilots. Documents include case files, photographs, witness statements, and analyses. The project concluded that most sightings were misidentifications (e.g., aircraft, balloons, or astronomical phenomena), with about 701 remaining unexplained due to insufficient data.

Key Findings: No evidence of threats to national security or extraterrestrial vehicles. Declassified records show chronological case files, administrative documents, and Office of Special Investigations (OSI) reports.

Release Details: Fully declassified in 1975 following the project’s termination in 1969. Available for public examination at the National Archives (Record Group 341).

Source: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) - https://www.archives.gov/research/military/air-force/ufos. Full microfilm rolls and digitized files can be searched via the NARA Catalog.

2. FBI UFO Files (1947–1954)

Description: A collection of memos, reports, and correspondence detailing the FBI’s involvement in early UFO investigations, often in coordination with the Air Force. Includes details on sightings like the 1947 Roswell incident (explained as a weather balloon) and other “flying discs” reports.

Key Findings: The FBI deferred primary investigations to the Air Force but monitored for potential espionage or hoaxes. One notable memo from 1950 discusses recovered “flying saucers” in New Mexico, later debunked as a hoax.

Release Details: Declassified via FOIA in the 1970s and 1980s; digitized and released online in 2011 as part of the FBI Vault.

Source: FBI Records: The Vault - https://vault.fbi.gov/UFO. The collection is divided into 16 parts, with Part 1 covering initial 1947 investigations.

3. CIA UFO Collection: “UFOs - Fact or Fiction?” (1940s–1990s)

Description: Over 1,700 pages of declassified documents from the CIA’s involvement in UFO studies, including memos on Project Sign (1948), Project Grudge (1949), and the Robertson Panel (1953). Examples include a 1952 memo on “Flying Saucers” and analyses of foreign UFO reports during the Cold War.

Key Findings: The CIA concluded that UFOs posed no direct threat but recommended monitoring for psychological warfare potential. A 1997 report reviewed the agency’s role, attributing many sightings to U-2 spy plane tests.

Release Details: Declassified in batches from the 1970s onward; major release in 2016 via FOIA.

Source: CIA Freedom of Information Act Electronic Reading Room - https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/collection/ufos-fact-or-fiction. Specific document example: “The CIA and the U-2 Program, 1954-1974” (declassified 1998), linking UFO reports to high-altitude reconnaissance.

4. NSA Declassified UFO Documents (1950s–1980s)

Description: PDF scans of formerly classified reports, including intercepted communications and analyses of foreign UFO sightings. Examples include a 1968 memo on “UFO Hypothesis and Survival Questions” and redacted signals intelligence (SIGINT) reports on Soviet UFO investigations.

Key Findings: No conclusive evidence of extraterrestrial activity; many documents discuss UFOs in the context of intelligence gathering or misinformation.

Release Details: Declassified via FOIA in the 1980s and 1990s; online collection updated periodically.

Source: National Security Agency (NSA) FOIA Page - https://www.nsa.gov/Helpful-Links/NSA-FOIA/Declassified-Documents/UFO/. Notable example: “In Camera Affidavit of Eugene F. Yeates” (1980), detailing NSA’s withholding of certain UFO-related records for national security reasons.

5. Pentagon UFO Videos (FLIR, GIMBAL, GOFAST - 2004–2015)

Description: Three infrared videos captured by U.S. Navy F/A-18 pilots showing unidentified objects exhibiting unusual flight characteristics (e.g., rapid acceleration, no visible propulsion). The FLIR video (2004) shows a “Tic Tac”-shaped object; GIMBAL (2015) depicts a rotating saucer-like form; GOFAST (2015) shows a fast-moving object near the ocean.

Key Findings: Objects remain unexplained, but AARO assessments rule out anomalous behaviors in some cases (e.g., optical illusions or conventional aircraft). No evidence of extraterrestrial tech.

Release Details: Leaked in 2017–2019; officially declassified and released by the DoD in April 2020.

Source: AARO Official UAP Imagery - https://www.aaro.mil/UAP-Cases/Official-UAP-Imagery; Wikipedia summary with context - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentagon_UFO_videos. Videos available via DoD press releases.

6. ODNI Preliminary Assessment on UAP (June 25, 2021)

Description: A 9-page unclassified report mandated by Congress, analyzing 144 UAP incidents reported by military personnel from 2004–2021.

Key Findings: Most incidents were unexplained due to limited data; potential explanations include airborne clutter, natural phenomena, U.S. or foreign tech, or “other.” 18 cases showed unusual movement patterns. A classified annex was provided to Congress.

Release Details: Declassified and publicly released on June 25, 2021.

Source: Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) - https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/Prelimary-Assessment-UAP-20210625.pdf; CNN coverage - https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/25/politics/ufo-report-pentagon-odni.

7. AARO Annual and Historical Reports on UAP (2022–2024)

Description: Annual reports from the DoD’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, including the 2024 Consolidated Annual Report (covering 1,600+ cases) and Historical Record Report Volume I (reviewing U.S. investigations from 1945 onward).

Key Findings: No evidence of extraterrestrial activity or off-world technology; most resolved as balloons, drones, or misidentifications. The 2024 report analyzed 910 new cases from May 2023–June 2024.

Release Details: Unclassified versions released annually starting 2022; latest on November 14, 2024.

Source: DoD Release - https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3964824/department-of-defense-releases-the-annual-report-on-unidentified-anomalous-phen (note: link may redirect; full PDF at https://media.defense.gov/2024/Nov/14/2003583603/-1/-1/0/FY24-CONSOLIDATED-ANNUAL-REPORT-ON-UAP-508.PDF). AARO website: https://www.aaro.mil

8. National Archives UAP Records Collection (Record Group 615, 2024–Ongoing)

Description: A dedicated collection of UAP-related records from federal agencies, including historical documents on sightings, investigations, and programs.

Key Findings: Includes declassified files from various eras, such as Air Force reports and interagency memos; ongoing accessions reveal no extraterrestrial confirmation but highlight unexplained cases.

Release Details: Established per the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA); records added on a rolling basis starting April 2025.

Source: NARA - https://www.archives.gov/research/topics/uaps; Catalog entry - https://catalog.archives.gov/id/445887258.

9. UK Ministry of Defence UFO Files (1950s–2009)

Description: Over 6,000 pages from the UK’s “UFO Desk,” including sighting reports, policy memos, and the 2002 “Condign Report” (a scientific study of UAPs).

Key Findings: Most explained as misidentifications; the Condign Report suggested some UAPs could involve atmospheric plasmas but found no defense threats.

Release Details: Declassified in phases from 2008–2013 via The National Archives (UK).

Source: UK National Archives - https://media.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php/ufo-files-national-archives; Full files downloadable from their catalog.

10. Immaculate Constellation Program Document (Alleged, Partially Declassified via Whistleblower, 2024)

Description: A leaked document describing a purported USAP (Unacknowledged Special Access Program) for UAP data collection, involving satellite and sensor networks.

Key Findings: Claims of non-human intelligence retrievals; however, official reviews (e.g., AARO) have not confirmed its authenticity or details.

Release Details: Surfaced via congressional hearing document in November 2024; partial declassification ongoing.

Source: Congress.gov - https://www.congress.gov/118/meeting/house/117721/documents/HHRG-118-GO12-20241113-SD003.pdf.

These examples represent a small fraction of available declassified material, with thousands more accessible via FOIA portals. For comprehensive searches, you can visit the Black Vault (a private archive of FOIA releases: https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/) or submit your own FOIA requests to agencies like the CIA or DoD.

In conclusion, while credible reports suggest Presidents have faced barriers to certain UFO/UAP/EBE compartments—potentially due to extreme secrecy—no conclusive proof of outright denial exists, no one would legally deny the President (as the Commander in Chief, and Executive Officer) such information and official investigations consistently found no extraterrestrial evidence. Releases have increased transparency on unexplained phenomena. For primary sources, I urge you to consult ODNI and AARO.

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