Pentagon Teases Major UFO Disclosures as Second Batch Looms
The Pentagon is signaling that a second wave of declassified UFO files is imminent, with Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell announcing that documents are “actively being processed for publication” with “more to come very soon.” The development comes just days after the Trump administration released 162 never-before-seen files in the largest single government disclosure of UFO-related material in U.S. history, and a key lawmaker is teasing that the next batch will deliver a “Holy Crap” moment for the public.
Historic First Release
On May 8, 2026, the Department of War published 162 files — 120 PDFs, 28 videos, and 14 images — at war.gov/UFO/ under the newly established Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE) program. The catalog spans from 1947 through December 2025, drawing records from the FBI, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, NASA, the State Department, and other Department of Defense components, administered jointly with the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO).
According to the UAP.WATCH wiki, which independently catalogs the release, the files include declassified mission reports, FBI memos, State Department cables, and AARO unresolved-case reports. Of the 26 named incidents in the catalog, only one is classified as RESOLVED — the 2017 Navy GOFAST clip, attributed by AARO to parallax at approximately 13,000 feet. Eight remain UNRESOLVED, 12 are ANOMALOUS, and 5 are CORROBORATED.
The New York Post reported that the release included bizarre-looking objects captured on video over Greece, Iraq, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States, alongside intelligence reports and FBI case files with eyewitness testimony dating back decades.
Apollo Mission Revelations
Among the most striking materials were images and transcripts from NASA’s Apollo 12 and Apollo 17 missions. One photo taken from the lunar surface appears to show three unexplained dots hovering in the dark sky above the moon. A declassified transcript captures Apollo 17 astronauts reporting “very bright particles or fragments or something that go drifting by as we maneuver,” with one operator adding: “It looks like the Fourth of July out of Ron’s window. They’re very jagged, angular fragments that are tumbling.”
What’s Coming Next
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), a longtime advocate for UFO disclosure, posted on X that the forthcoming release will dwarf the initial tranche. “The 1st drop will be big but in comparison to what is coming they will be a drop in the bucket,” Burchett wrote. “I would say ‘Holy Crap’ is coming.” His comments were reported by Fox News, which first broke the story of the second batch.
President Trump has actively promoted the disclosure effort, sharing AI-generated images of himself with a handcuffed alien and piloting a spaceship. On Truth Social, Trump wrote: “In an effort for Complete and Maximum Transparency, it was my Honor to direct my Administration to identify and provide Government files related to Alien and Extraterrestrial Life… the people can decide for themselves, ‘WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?’”
The initiative has drawn praise from top officials. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman applauded “President Trump’s whole-of-government effort to bring greater transparency to the American people on unidentified anomalous phenomena.” FBI Director Kash Patel called it “a level of transparency that no prior administration has delivered.”
Skeptical Voices
Not everyone is convinced the files will deliver earth-shattering revelations. Former AARO Director Sean Kirkpatrick, who led the Pentagon’s UAP investigation office until 2023, cautioned that readers “should not get their hopes up that there’s going to be some document with photos, interviewing the aliens when they came down. Because that just doesn’t exist,” as reported by the New York Post.
Online sleuths have already debunked some videos from the first release. The Guardian’s Daniel Lavelle noted that a “star-shaped UFO” was likely a flare on a parachute, and a “red orb” was identified as a red balloon. Even Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posted: “I’m so sick of the ‘look at the shiny object’ propaganda.”
Political Dimensions
The UFO disclosure is deeply intertwined with Trump’s political brand. As The Guardian’s analysis notes, it is a “win-win” scenario: if files reveal alien evidence, Trump emerges as a hero; if they don’t, he can blame the deep state. The release also serves as a distraction from ongoing controversies, including U.S. military actions abroad.
Vice President JD Vance has declared himself “obsessed” with the UFO files, saying in March: “I’ve still got three more years as vice president. I will get to the bottom of the UFO files.”
What to Watch For
Parnell has not provided a specific date for the second release, saying only that it will come “very soon.” The content scope remains unclear, though Burchett has promised congressional hearings by the end of May. AARO’s second report, covering more recent sightings, is also expected in the coming months.
The war.gov/UFO/ website received approximately 340 million hits within the first 12 hours of the May 8 release, underscoring the enormous public appetite for information. With nearly half of Americans believing aliens have visited Earth, according to a YouGov poll, the stakes for the next tranche of files could not be higher.