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By Joe Edwards
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Former President Barack Obama sought to play down speculation about extraterrestrial life after remarks he made in an interview with journalist Brian Tyler Cohen sparked online attention.
Why It Matters
Obama’s clarification followed widespread coverage of a podcast exchange, prompting the former president to emphasize he had seen no evidence of extraterrestrial contact while in office.
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A 2021 survey by Pew Research Center found that almost two-thirds (65 percent) of Americans believe that intelligent life could exist on other planets.
What To Know
"I was trying to stick with the spirit of the speed round, but since it’s gotten attention let me clarify," Obama said on social media.
"Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there’s life out there. 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!"
Newsweek reached out to Obama for comment via the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama early on Monday morning.
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In a rapid-fire segment of an interview with podcast host Cohen, Obama had answered "They’re real" to a question about aliens, then immediately added that he had not seen them and rejected the idea they were stored at Area 51.
The interview also featured a light moment when Obama said his first question upon taking office was, "Where are the aliens?”echoing past jokes he has made about the topic.
Area 51, a classified facility in Nevada, has long fueled conspiracy theories, though declassified documents in 2013 detailed its role in high-altitude test programs that contributed to UFO sightings reports.
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What People Are Saying
As previously reported by Newsweek, Cohen asked Obama directly during the interview: "Are aliens real?"
Obama responded: "They're real, but I haven't seen them, and they're not being kept in, what is it—"
Cohen interjected: "Area 51?"
"Area 51," Obama said. "There's no underground facility, unless there's this enormous conspiracy, and they hid it from the president of the United States."
What Happens Next
The Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office maintains it has uncovered no confirmed proof of extraterrestrial activity.
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