U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance has signaled a strong interest in investigating unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs a.k.a. UFOs), describing himself as “obsessed” with uncovering the truth behind the issue—potentially tapping into a topic that resonates deeply with the American public.
In a recent interview on a podcast hosted by conservative commentator Benny Johnson, Vance pledged to pursue the matter thoroughly before leaving office. “Believe me, anybody who is curious about this—I’m more curious than anybody else, and I’ve had three years of access to the most classified files. I’m going all the way,” he said.
When asked whether the Trump administration would release all UFO-related records—and whether he had personally reviewed them—Vance admitted he had not yet done so. “Actually, I haven’t,” he said. “I haven’t been able to devote enough time to it, but I will. Believe me, I’m passionate about it.”
Vance also revealed that he had previously considered visiting Area 51, the highly classified U.S. military facility. However, he noted that he never found the opportunity to make those trips.
Offering a controversial perspective, Vance suggested that UFO phenomena may not be linked to extraterrestrial life at all. Instead, he framed them as part of a broader human effort to explain the unknown. “I don’t think they’re aliens—I think they’re demons anyway, but that’s a bigger discussion,” he said, pointing to religious interpretations of unexplained events. He added that many major world religions, including Christianity, acknowledge the existence of mysterious and difficult-to-explain forces.
His remarks come amid renewed public interest in UFOs, fueled in part by comments from former President Barack Obama. Speaking on a podcast last month, Obama said that aliens are “real,” while clarifying that he had neither seen them nor found evidence of their presence at Area 51. He later walked back the statement, emphasizing that during his presidency he saw no proof of extraterrestrial contact.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump has pledged to order the declassification of government records related to UFOs and extraterrestrial life, citing significant public interest. Trump previously stated that he was uncertain about the existence of aliens but suggested that releasing such information could help address lingering questions—referencing Obama’s earlier remarks.
Adding to speculation, the White House recently registered the domain names “alien.gov” and “aliens.gov,” fueling expectations that new disclosures on UFOs and related phenomena could be forthcoming.
Ask me anything
Explore related questions