Among other topics, Barack Obama spoke about whether he believes in the existence of aliens and UFOs during an interview he gave to Stephen Colbert, host of the popular show The Late Show. He revealed that he still insists aliens exist and wants to make contact with them, while pointing out that if the government had anything related to that, it would not be able to keep it hidden.

As Entertainment Weekly reports, the discussion about aliens took an unusual turn when the former president admitted there are no government-held secrets about extraterrestrials. Despite his remarks about the existence of aliens, Obama clarified that he has had no proven contact with alien life.

Following up on earlier statements he had made about aliens, Obama explained that the government would be incapable of keeping such information secret, even if there were photos or evidence of alien spacecraft. “The government is terrible at keeping secrets,” he remarked. He then added humorously: “If there were aliens or spaceships under the control of the U.S. government, surely somebody would have taken a selfie with an alien and sent it to their girlfriend to impress her.”

Stephen Colbert, in his usual style, joked that some government buildings might look like spaceships that had just landed, making a playful reference to Obama’s presidential library, which is expected to open in June.

“I’m volunteering for first contact”

Although the former president insists he has never met aliens, he admitted he still hopes extraterrestrials exist and expressed his desire to communicate with them. “I’m volunteering for first contact,” he said, adding that his diplomatic experience and friendly personality make him an ideal ambassador for Earth.

“I’m friendly and I can bring diplomatic experience… I think I’d do pretty well,” Obama said.

Colbert, jokingly taking on the role of head of alien relations, replied that “we’ll keep that in mind,” laughing at Obama’s wish to represent the planet.

Barack Obama also reiterated once again that although the universe is enormous, the U.S. government has no evidence of communication with extraterrestrials, saying: “We gathered here to report something like that, and we have no such evidence.”