Resolution Criteria

Trump announced on February 19 that he is instructing federal agencies to begin releasing government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs). This market resolves YES if Trump signs a formal executive order explicitly declassifying UFO/UAP files. The order must use clear declassification language (e.g., "hereby declassified") rather than merely directing agencies to "begin the process" of identifying and releasing files.

Resolution will be verified through official White House statements, executive order databases (whitehouse.gov), or the Federal Register. A social media post or directive to "begin the process" without explicit declassification language does not satisfy this criterion.

Background

Trump announced on his social media platform Truth Social that he would direct the Department of Defense and other federal 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)". However, Trump's statement does not clearly order the declassification of any such records, and instead framed his move as a directive to "begin the process" of identifying and releasing files—language that implicitly preserves the normal machinery: interagency review, classification appeals, exemptions, and the slow grind of national security redaction.

The National Archives released Records Related to Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) and Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs) in April 2025, though the scope and completeness of these releases remain disputed. Just days after Trump publicly stated that he wanted to order the release of UFO and UAP-related files, the U.S. Navy formally denied an appeal seeking the release of 78 photographs designated as "unidentified aerial phenomena".

Considerations

Trump's order is not a formal executive order and it does not specify if any documents revealing U.S. military capabilities would be exempted. The distinction between directing agencies to review and release files versus issuing an explicit declassification order is legally significant—the former allows agencies to continue withholding materials under national security exemptions, while the latter would make documents eligible for public release under the Freedom of Information Act.

This description was generated by AI.