Former U.S. President Barack Obama has clarified remarks he made about extraterrestrial life after his comments sparked global attention following a weekend podcast interview.

During an appearance on the Brian Tyler Cohen Show, Obama was asked in a rapid-fire segment whether aliens are real. He responded simply: “They’re real, but I haven’t seen them.” He also dismissed long-standing conspiracy theories about Area 51, saying aliens are not being kept there unless such information was hidden from even the U.S. president.

However, in the hours that followed, Obama took to Instagram to clarify his intent. He explained that his answer reflected the statistical likelihood that life exists somewhere in the vast universe — but stressed that he has seen no evidence of extraterrestrial contact during his time in office. He underscored that the distances between star systems make human visitation unlikely.

The clarification aimed to counter interpretations suggesting he was confirming alien encounters or government cover-ups. Obama’s broader point was rooted in scientific probability rather than claims of personal knowledge about alien visits to Earth.

This exchange has reignited public conversation about unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and ongoing U.S. government investigations into unexplained sightings — a topic that has intrigued both the scientific community and the public for years.