Former United States President Barack Obama said he has seen no evidence that extraterrestrials have contacted Earth, hours after a podcast comment about aliens being real triggered widespread headlines.
Speaking during a speed round on a show hosted by Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama replied "They're real but I haven't seen them" when asked if aliens exist. He added that they were not being hidden at Area 51 and dismissed the idea of a secret facility concealed from the president.
<social>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI-hgSE5QIw</social>
Following the media reaction, Obama posted a clarification on Instagram, saying that while the vastness of the universe makes the existence of life elsewhere statistically plausible, the chances Earth has been visited are low. He stressed that during his presidency he saw no evidence of alien contact.
Area 51 has long been the focus of conspiracy theories about extraterrestrials. Declassified documents released in 2013 showed the Nevada site was used to test classified aircraft programs, including the U-2 surveillance plane, which contributed to a rise in UFO sightings during the Cold War...
Barack Obama on Instagram:
"I was trying to stick with the spirit of the speed round, but since it's gotten attention let me clarify. Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there's life out there," he said. "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. Really!"