Pentagon UFO website shatters records with 340M hits in first 12 hours

Pentagon unveils UFO/UAP files dating back to 1940s

The department said it will release more files "on a rolling basis."

LOS ANGELES - The Pentagon has officially opened a digital archive of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) records, fulfilling a campaign promise from President Donald Trump to increase government transparency. 

The release includes hundreds of pages and dozens of videos documenting unresolved aerial encounters spanning from the 1940s to early 2024.

What we know:

The new Pentagon website serves as a clearinghouse for declassified military and intelligence data. 

Key revelations include:

• The "Aegean Sea" Incident (2023): A military report of an object flying just above the ocean surface, making multiple 90-degree turns at approximately 80 mph.
• Apollo 11 Debriefs: Transcripts showing Buzz Aldrin reported a "sizeable" object and a "bright light source" near the moon in 1969.
• Modern Military Footage: More than 20 videos from locations like Syria, Japan, and Iraq, showing objects ranging from "bouncy ball" shapes to fast-moving white specks.
• Historical Records: Reports from 1948 in the Netherlands and Sweden where officials suggested sightings did not originate from any "known culture on earth."

On Friday evening, Pentagon officials said the website received 340 million hits since being launched earlier in the day.

"In just 12 hours, the site has received 340 MILLION hits from Americans and truth seekers worldwide seeking unfiltered UAP information," spokesman Sean Parnell said. "This overwhelming response underscores the Trump administration’s strong commitment to openness. President Trump has delivered on the public’s demand for the truth."

What we don't know:

Despite the volume of data, the Pentagon maintains that these cases are "unresolved," not "extraterrestrial." 

A 2024 report explicitly stated there is no confirmed evidence of alien life or recovered alien technology. 

SUGGESTED: Trump administration begins to release new UFO files to the public

It's unclear if the most sensitive "whistleblower" videos—demanded by members of Congress like Rep. Anna Paulina Luna—are included in this specific batch or are slated for a later release.

Pentagon releases new UFO files to the public

The Trump administration says the public can draw its own conclusions with the information in the files, which includes old State Department cables, FBI documents and transcripts from NASA of crewed flights into space. A new Pentagon website housing the documents on UAPs has a decidedly retro feel, with black-and-white military imagery of flying objects displayed prominently on the page, with statements displayed in typewriter-like font.

What they're saying:

"Whereas previous Administrations have failed to be transparent on this subject, with these new Documents and Videos, the people can decide for themselves, ‘WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?’ Have Fun and Enjoy!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.

However, Sean Kirkpatrick, former director of the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), offered a more skeptical view, warning that without expert analysis, the files "only serve to fuel more speculation, conspiracy and arm-chair pseudoscience." 

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He noted that some "star-shaped" objects in the videos are likely just diffraction patterns from hot jet engines.

What's next:

The declassification process is expected to continue over the coming months. 

Republican lawmakers have indicated that additional videos identified by whistleblowers are slated for future release.

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Simultaneously, advocacy groups like the Sol Foundation are continuing to lobby for even stricter legislation to force the disclosure of vehicles they believe are "not of human origin."