President Donald Trump has said US Air Force pilots told him in the Oval Office that a round object passed their F-22 fighter jet at three times its speed, and vowed to find out if a secret government UFO programme exists. The Trump UFO F-22 account came in a CBS 60 Minutes interview with Ross Douthat, recorded at the White House and broadcast on Sunday, November 8, 2026. Trump said he was "not too much of a believer" — but the pilots were "the real deal" and had told him "things that are very strange."

Key Points

• Trump said Air Force pilots told him a round object passed their F-22 fighter jet at three times its speed.
• Trump called the object round and "not aerodynamic", and the pilots "really good, solid people".
• Asked about a secret UFO programme hidden even from presidents, Trump said he had not heard of one, but added: "if there is, I'm going to find out about it right after this interview".
• No pilot was named, and no date, place, unit, radar data or video was given for the encounter.
• Trump told a similar account in 2024, then at four times an F-22; the Pentagon's UAP office has found no evidence of extraterrestrial technology.

What Happened

The exchange came in Trump's wide-ranging 60 Minutes interview with Ross Douthat, recorded at the White House on Friday and broadcast on Sunday, November 8, 2026, as Douthat pressed him on unidentified flying objects.

Trump said the talks happened in the Oval Office, in his first term and "a little bit" of his second. "I'm not too much of a believer, but I sat in the Oval Office, first term and a little bit second term, meeting with Air Force pilots that are really good, solid people," he said. "And they've told me things that are very strange." He said a round object had passed their F-22 at three times the jet's speed. He gave no date, place, unit, radar track or video, and named no pilot.

Asked if the object could have been something ordinary, Trump offered a possibility of his own. "Well, maybe it was a comet," he said — before returning to the pilots' credibility. "They're the real deal," he said.

Background and Context

Trump has spoken publicly about pilots reporting strange objects before. In 2024 he told a similar account, describing an object moving at four times the speed of an F-22 — faster than the three-times speed he gave in the 60 Minutes interview. Both centre on one claim: experienced fighter pilots told the president they had seen something they could not explain.

The remarks come as the administration releases declassified files on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs). Under the programme known as PURSUE, seven batches have been released since May 2026, the seventh posted on October 23 at war.gov/UFO. The Pentagon's UAP office, the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), recorded 319 new UAP reports in fiscal year 2025: 114 resolved and 205 unexplained, but it found no evidence of extraterrestrial technology. Read our report on Trump's full 60 Minutes interview on deportations and Iran.

What Trump Said About the UFO and the F-22

The most striking part was how Trump balanced scepticism with respect for the pilots. He opened by distancing himself from belief in UFOs, then immediately vouched for the men who told him the story. The pilots, he said, were "really good, solid people" — a signal their accounts should not be dismissed lightly, even if he did not share their conclusions.

The speed Trump cited is what makes the account hard to square with ordinary explanations. An F-22 Raptor can reach about twice the speed of sound in short bursts; an object passing it at three times its speed would outrun any known aircraft. That is why "not aerodynamic" matters: a round object with no visible lift or propulsion fits no conventional jet, missile or drone. Yet the account leaves the key questions unanswered — with no date, location, unit or sensor data, it cannot be checked against flight records or radar logs.

Reactions and Quotes

Douthat pressed Trump directly on the idea of a hidden programme — the claim by some former officials that the government studies recovered UFO material in a programme so secret even presidents are not told about it. "No. And I haven't heard that," Trump replied. Then he added: "if there is, I'm going to find out about it right after this interview."

The vow was striking because it came from a president on camera, in an interview watched by millions. Trump promised no specific investigation, named no agency and set no timetable — but put the question on the record as something he intends to pursue. The Pentagon has not commented on the account, and no further detail has been released about the pilots or the encounter.

Why It Matters

Presidential words carry weight, and Trump's account matters for two reasons. First, it puts a president on the record repeating a pilot's claim of an object outpacing the world's most advanced fighter jet — a claim that, if verified, would challenge what is known about flight. Second, his vow to investigate a possible secret programme gives new momentum to the disclosure movement, which has pressed for years to release classified UAP material.

It also matters because of the contrast between what pilots report and what the evidence shows. AARO's figures — 319 new reports in a year, 205 still unexplained — show military personnel keep seeing things they cannot identify. Yet the same office has found no evidence of alien technology, and Trump himself offered the most ordinary explanation: "Well, maybe it was a comet." Read our report on Trump saying there will be no amnesty after the backlash over his 60 Minutes immigration remarks.

What Happens Next

Whether Trump follows through will become clear in the coming weeks. Any inquiry would most likely run through the Pentagon and AARO, which already investigates UAP reports, and any declassified material would be expected to appear in the PURSUE releases at war.gov/UFO.

Disclosure advocates in Congress are likely to seize on the president's words, and the Pentagon may face fresh questions about whether the encounter was ever formally reported. For now, the account rests on the president's word alone: no pilot named, no date or place given, no sensor data released. If the administration opens a new inquiry, its findings will be measured against AARO's standard — unexplained does not mean extraterrestrial.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Trump say about the UFO? Air Force pilots told him a round object passed their F-22 at three times its speed, and that the pilots were "the real deal".

When did the interview air? The 60 Minutes interview with Ross Douthat was recorded at the White House on Friday and broadcast on Sunday, November 8, 2026.

Was any evidence shown? No. No pilot was named, and no date, place, unit, radar data or video was given.

What does the Pentagon say about UAPs? AARO recorded 319 new UAP reports in fiscal year 2025, with 205 still unexplained — but found no evidence of extraterrestrial technology.