Key facts
- An 84% majority of U.S. poll respondents believe the government possesses more information on UFOs than it has shared.
- A YouGov poll conducted between June 2-4 surveyed 2,023 individuals.
- The Pentagon has recently released multiple batches of UFO-related files.
- Nearly two-thirds of respondents believe in intelligent extraterrestrial life.
- Whistleblower David Grusch claims the U.S. government has knowledge of multiple types of extraterrestrial life.
A recent poll indicates a strong public belief that the U.S. government is withholding information about Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), commonly known as UFOs. The CBS News/YouGov survey, conducted from June 2 to 4 with 2,023 respondents, found that 84% believe federal authorities know more than they are disclosing.
Only 16% of those polled felt the government had been fully transparent on the issue. The survey also revealed that less than 20% of respondents claim to have personally witnessed a UFO, while 83% stated they had not. Despite this, a significant majority, nearly two-thirds, expressed belief in the existence of intelligent life beyond Earth, an increase from previous years.
Furthermore, over 20% of respondents believe humanity has already encountered extraterrestrial life, with 46% anticipating such contact in the future, and one-third believing it will never happen. The poll carried a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points.
This public sentiment follows the Pentagon's recent release of two batches of UFO-related files, accessible through war.gov/UFO. These documents include archival photos, military videos, and reports of unusual aerial sightings. The Defense Department has indicated that further tranches of files will be released periodically, following extensive reviews across multiple agencies and millions of records.
Lawmakers from both major parties have urged the Trump administration to provide greater transparency on the UAP issue. Earlier this week, former intelligence officer David Grusch, a whistleblower, asserted that the U.S. government is aware of "several" types of extraterrestrial life, framing the discussion around national security threats posed by UAPs.