aliens.gov: What the Government’s New Domain Means for UAP Disclosure

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On March 18, 2026, the Executive Office of the President quietly registered two new government domains: alien.gov and aliens.gov. The registrations appeared in CISA’s federal domain records with no announcement, no press release, and no public-facing content. They came roughly one month after President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he would direct the Secretary of Defense and other agencies to begin releasing government files on unidentified aerial phenomena, UFOs, and extraterrestrial life. As of March 28, both domains remain dark. No files have been released. But the registrations have triggered a wave of public speculation, media coverage, and even betting markets, raising the question of what, exactly, the U.S. government has documented about objects it could not identify.

TL;DR: The White House registered alien.gov and aliens.gov on March 18, 2026, about one month after President Trump directed agencies to release government files related to UAP, UFOs, and extraterrestrial life. The domains are not yet active, and no files have been released. The directive followed a viral comment by former President Obama and years of congressional hearings featuring whistleblowers who alleged secret government UAP programs. Some experts say the files may contain little new information; others see it as a turning point in government transparency. What the domains will host, and when, remains unclear. Sources linked below.

Timeline

  • June 2023: Intelligence officer David Grusch’s whistleblower claims about a secret UAP crash retrieval program are published by The Debrief.
  • July 26, 2023: Grusch, Navy pilots Ryan Graves and David Fravor testify before the House Oversight Committee. Grusch alleges the U.S. has recovered “non-human biologics” from retrieved craft.
  • December 2023: President Biden signs the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes the UAP Disclosure Act proposed by Senator Chuck Schumer. The law establishes a process for reviewing and declassifying UAP-related records.
  • November 2024: A second congressional UAP hearing is held with additional witnesses and testimony.
  • September 2025: A third congressional hearing takes place with further testimony about government UAP programs.
  • August 2025: AARO holds an invite-only workshop with approximately 40 researchers to standardize UAP data collection and reporting processes. The workshop is not publicly reported until March 2026.
  • Mid-February 2026: Former President Barack Obama makes an offhand comment in a podcast interview that sparks renewed public interest in government UAP files.
  • February 20, 2026: President Trump posts on Truth Social: “Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and 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).”
  • February 23, 2026: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirms during a public appearance that the Pentagon is “working” on the file release process.
  • March 7, 2026: CNN reports that no files have been released and no timeline for release has been provided by any agency.
  • March 18, 2026: The White House registers alien.gov and aliens.gov through the Executive Office of the President. The domains appear in CISA’s federal domain registry.
  • March 28, 2026: Both domains remain inactive. No government files on UAP, UFOs, or extraterrestrial life have been publicly released under Trump’s directive.

What Prompted the Disclosure Directive

The chain of events leading to the aliens.gov registrations traces back to years of congressional activity and whistleblower testimony, but the immediate catalyst was a comment by former President Barack Obama.

In mid-February 2026, Obama appeared on a podcast where he made what WIRED described as “an apparently offhand response” to a question about aliens. Obama later clarified that he simply meant it was likely that life exists somewhere in the universe. But the comment went viral and reignited public interest in what the government might know about UAP.

President Trump responded on February 20, 2026, with a Truth Social post directing the Secretary of Defense and other 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).” The post used the phrase “Secretary of War,” a reference to the historical title for the head of the Defense Department.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence followed up on social media, stating that files related to UAP and UFOs would “soon” be declassified. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed on February 23 during a visit to Sierra Space in Colorado that the Pentagon was “working” on the release.

Despite these statements, as of March 28, no files have been released and no agencies have provided a timeline for when the public should expect them.

What the Domain Registrations Mean

The alien.gov and aliens.gov domains were registered on March 18, 2026, by the Executive Office of the President, according to federal domain records maintained by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The registrations were first reported by DefenseScoop and quickly picked up by major outlets including Forbes, The Guardian, and USA Today.

Government .gov domains are restricted to U.S.-based government organizations. Their registration by the Executive Office of the President, rather than a specific agency, suggests the domains may be intended as a central portal for declassified UAP material, though this has not been confirmed.

As of March 28, both domains remain dark. Cybernews reported that the domains are “inactive for several days after its registration, with no public-facing content or confirmed launch timeline.” The site speculated that the domains could eventually host a public archive of declassified materials related to UAP.

The registrations have generated significant public attention. Cybernews reported a “betting frenzy” with speculation markets surging on predictions about UAP disclosure timelines. Forbes noted that the move was “about a month after President Donald Trump said he would order Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and other agencies to release government files” on the topic.

The Congressional Foundation

The current disclosure push builds on more than three years of congressional hearings and legislation centered on UAP.

In June 2023, intelligence officer David Grusch’s whistleblower claims were published by The Debrief, alleging the existence of a secret U.S. government program to recover and study crashed craft of non-human origin. Grusch stated he had been told by people with direct knowledge that the program had recovered both craft and what he termed “non-human biologics.”

On July 26, 2023, Grusch testified before the House Oversight Committee alongside Navy pilots Ryan Graves and David Fravor. During the hearing, Representative Nancy Mace questioned Grusch about recovery efforts for UAP by the U.S. government. When Representative Tim Burchett asked if Grusch had “personal knowledge of people who’ve been harmed or injured in efforts to cover up or conceal” the government’s possession of “extraterrestrial technology,” Grusch said yes, but declined to provide details outside a secure facility.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson later publicly challenged Grusch’s claims, asking “Where’s the evidence?” during a C-SPAN appearance in late March 2026.

In December 2023, Senator Chuck Schumer proposed the UAP Disclosure Act as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. The legislation established a formal process for reviewing and declassifying government records related to UAP. President Biden signed it into law. The act is the legal foundation for Trump’s 2026 disclosure directive.

Two additional hearings followed: one in November 2024 and another in September 2025, both featuring further testimony about alleged government UAP programs.

AARO and the Pentagon’s UAP Investigation

The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) was established by the Department of Defense to investigate reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena across air, sea, and space domains. The office has been a focal point for both government UAP research and congressional scrutiny.

In August 2025, AARO held an invite-only workshop with approximately 40 government, academic, and independent researchers. The event, officially hosted by Associated Universities, Inc. in the Washington, D.C. area, focused on standardizing processes for capturing, sharing, and studying narrative data on UAP. The workshop was not publicly reported until March 2026, when DefenseScoop published details about it.

AARO has faced criticism from some members of Congress. Representative Anna Paulina Luna has called for the office to be defunded, arguing it has not been sufficiently transparent. In March 2026, Grusch filed a new lawsuit against the Department of Defense demanding the release of UFO-related documents.

The Opposing Perspective

Not everyone sees the aliens.gov registrations or the broader disclosure push as evidence that the government possesses extraordinary hidden knowledge about UAP.

WIRED published an analysis in March 2026 titled “Don’t Expect Big Surprises in the Government’s Alien Files.” The article noted that “if we are judging by past releases, there will probably be nothing new about aliens in these files.” Previous government disclosures of UAP records, including those released under the 2023 UAP Disclosure Act, have generally contained already-known incidents, inconclusive sensor data, and assessments that attributed most sightings to conventional causes such as weather balloons, drones, satellites, and misidentified aircraft.

The Air Force, which conducted the most sustained U.S. government investigation of UFOs through Project Sign (1947-1949), Project Grudge (1949-1952), and Project Blue Book (1952-1969), has stated it has no records of recovered non-human technology. Of the 12,618 sightings investigated, 701 remained unidentified when the program concluded in 1969, but unidentified does not mean extraterrestrial, according to the National Archives.

Skeptics point to the pattern of congressional hearings: each hearing has featured dramatic claims from witnesses, but none has produced physical evidence, verified documents, or firsthand accounts confirmed by independent investigation. The Government Accountability Office and multiple Inspector General reviews have not corroborated the existence of secret UAP retrieval programs.

Some analysts suggest the domain registrations may be a political gesture rather than a precursor to substantive disclosure. The timing, coming amid other high-profile government initiatives, and the lack of any agency claiming ownership of the domains or providing a launch timeline, has led some observers to question whether the registrations signal more than symbolic action.

Whatever the eventual outcome, the absence of released files more than a month after the directive means the public has no new evidence to evaluate. The debate remains, as it has for decades, one of claims versus documentation.

Related Video

David Grusch’s opening statement at the July 26, 2023 congressional UAP hearing. Source: C-SPAN via YouTube.

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