Barack Obama declared that aliens are 'real', before firmly rejecting long-standing conspiracy theories that extraterrestrials are hiding in Area 51.
This candid exchange offered a rare glimpse into what presidents might know when it comes to one of America's most enduring mysteries.
The former US president made these remarks when interviewer Brian Tyler Cohen asked him directly: 'Are aliens real?'
Obama's response was straightforward: 'Uh, they're real, but I haven't seen them,' he said, before immediately addressing speculation about Area 51, the secret US military facility in Nevada that has long been at the center of conspiracy theories about extraterrestrials.
"And they're not being held in, uh, what is it? Area 51! There's no underground facility unless there's this big conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States," Obama continued.
His comments - delivered with a mix of humor and authority - constituted a clear rejection of claims that the US government is secretly harboring alien life forms at the secret base, the Telegraph reports.
Area 51 has fueled decades of speculation, especially since the Cold War, when its remote desert location and classified operations made it a natural target for rumors about UFOs and extraterrestrial cover-ups.
The US government has acknowledged the existence of the facility, but has consistently said it is used to test advanced military aircraft.
Cohen then asked which question he most wanted answered when he entered the White House.
"Where are the aliens?" Obama replied with a laugh.
The exchange came as part of a wide-ranging interview in which Obama reflected on his presidency and life after the White House. /Telegraph/
