Republican Congressman Thomas Massie took a dig at US President Donald Trump after the latter announced plans to release government files related to aliens and unidentified flying objects and said the move could serve as a distraction from the ongoing controversy surrounding the Epstein documents.Massie, who represents Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, reacted sharply to the announcement on X, writing: “They’ve deployed the ultimate weapon of mass distraction, but the Epstein files aren’t going away… even for aliens.”

His remarks highlights rising tensions between some Republicans and the Trump administration over transparency and the handling of sensitive records.Massie has been among the lawmakers pushing for fuller disclosure of Epstein-related documents, arguing that redactions must be reversed and more information should be made public.

What Trump said

Trump announced on Truth Social that he would direct the Defense Secretary and other federal agencies to identify and release government documents related to extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and UFOs.“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,” Trump wrote.He described the subject as “highly complex, but extremely interesting and important,” and said the decision was driven by public curiosity and demand for transparency.The announcement came hours after Trump criticised former president Barack Obama, accusing him of revealing “classified information” during a podcast appearance. Trump later clarified he was unsure whether aliens were real but insisted Obama had made a “big mistake” by discussing the topic.

What Obama said about aliens being ‘real’

Obama’s remarks came during a lighthearted “lightning round” on YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen’s podcast, when he was asked directly whether aliens were real.“They’re real, but I haven’t seen them,” Obama said jokingly, before adding that aliens were not being held in secret facilities such as the widely cited Area 51. He also laughed when asked about questions he had upon becoming president, quipping: “Where are the aliens?”As the comments gained traction online, Obama later clarified his statement in a social media post, explaining that he was speaking in the spirit of humour. He said that while the vastness of the universe makes extraterrestrial life statistically possible, he saw no evidence during his presidency that aliens had visited Earth.“The odds are good there’s life out there,” Obama said, but added that “the chances we’ve been visited by aliens are low,” and emphasised that he had seen no proof of extraterrestrial contact while in office.Trump’s decision to release UFO-related documents has reignited long-standing public fascination with extraterrestrial life.