Donald Trump said he will direct the Defense Department to begin releasing government files related to aliens, UFOs and unidentified aerial phenomena, citing strong public interest.

His move follows comments by Barack Obama on a podcast suggesting that while extraterrestrial life may statistically exist, there is no evidence aliens have visited Earth.

Obama later clarified online that he saw no proof of extraterrestrial contact during his presidency.

Trump, speaking during a trip to Georgia, accused Obama of revealing classified information through his remarks, the Wall Street Journal has reported.

The exchange has reignited public debate and online speculation about government secrecy surrounding UFO-related records.