Obama Clarifies Remarks After Saying “They’re Real” in Podcast Exchange About Aliens

Former president says he believes life likely exists elsewhere in the universe but saw no evidence of extraterrestrial contact while in office.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Former President Barack Obama moved Sunday to clarify remarks he made during a podcast interview in which he appeared to affirm the existence of extraterrestrials, stating later that while life elsewhere in the universe is statistically plausible, he saw no evidence of alien contact during his presidency.

During an appearance with left-leaning podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama was asked directly whether aliens existed. He responded, “They’re real, but I haven’t seen them,” adding, “They’re [Aliens are] 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.”

The exchange occurred during a rapid-fire segment of the interview. When asked what question he most wanted answered upon becoming president, Obama replied, “Where are the aliens?”

Cohen did not press further on the topic and instead shifted the conversation to other subjects.

Following public reaction to the episode, Obama posted a clarification on Instagram. “I was trying to stick with the spirit of the speed round, but since it’s gotten attention let me clarify,” he wrote.

“Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there’s life out there,” he continued. “But the distances between solar systems are so great that the chances we’ve been visited by aliens is low, and I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us.”

Obama’s clarification emphasized that his comments reflected a general belief about the probability of life elsewhere in the universe rather than confirmation of alien visitation or government knowledge of extraterrestrial contact.

The discussion briefly resurfaced long-standing public curiosity about unidentified aerial phenomena and speculation surrounding classified information, though Obama stated unequivocally that he encountered no evidence of alien contact during his time in the White House.