Former President Barack Obama spent part of his Sunday clearing the air after a brief comment about extraterrestrial life sent social media into a frenzy. The clarification followed an appearance on a podcast hosted by Brian Tyler Cohen, where a “lightning round” response about the existence of aliens was quickly picked up by news outlets and UFO enthusiasts alike.
During the interview, Cohen asked the former president point-blank if aliens are real.
Obama responded by saying, “They’re real, but I haven’t seen them.” While the remark was made during a fast-paced segment of the show, it lacked the immediate context needed to distinguish between a personal belief in biology across the universe and proof of actual contact with Earth.
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Recognizing that his words were being interpreted as a major revelation, Obama took to Instagram to provide a more nuanced explanation of his views.
He admitted that he was trying to keep up with the “spirit of the speed round” but felt it was necessary to be more precise given the attention the clip received. He explained that his belief is based on the sheer scale of the cosmos rather than classified briefings.
The 44th president noted that because the universe is so vast, the statistical probability of life existing somewhere else is high. However, he was quick to temper that idea with the reality of physics. He pointed out that the massive distances between solar systems make it highly unlikely that any beings have actually traveled to our planet.
Most importantly, he stated clearly that during his eight years in the White House, he saw no evidence that extraterrestrials had ever made contact with the United States or any other government.
The original podcast exchange was notable not just for Obama’s answer, but for the lack of a follow-up. After the “they’re real” comment, Cohen moved on to ask what the first question was that Obama wanted answered upon taking office.
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Obama replied that his first curiosity was, in fact, “Where are the aliens?” Despite the lead-in, the conversation shifted toward the Pope without further exploration of the extraterrestrial topic.
To shut down long-standing rumors, Obama also reiterated that there are no secret alien hangars at Area 51 or hidden underground facilities. He joked that for those theories to be true, there would have to be a conspiracy so massive that the information was kept even from the Commander in Chief.
For now, the former president seems content to leave the existence of aliens in the realm of math and probability rather than government cover-ups.
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