IUFOB, Founded in 1957 and Home to Jimmy Carter’s Original UFO Report, Responds to Renewed UAP Attention Following Statements by Obama and Trump
Oklahoma City, OK — Founded in 1957, the International UFO Bureau (IUFOB) is a nonprofit research organization dedicated to documenting, analyzing, and preserving records related to Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) and Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP).
Among the most historically significant records preserved by the Bureau is the handwritten UFO sighting report submitted by Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter in 1973, several years before he became the 39th President of the United States.
That historical record has gained renewed relevance as former President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump have brought new public attention to questions surrounding unidentified aerial phenomena and extraterrestrial life.
Renewed Attention from Former President Obama
In February 2026, Obama drew widespread attention after being asked during a podcast speed round whether aliens are real. He answered that they were, while also stating that he had not seen them and was unaware of any hidden extraterrestrial facility at Area 51.
Obama later clarified his remarks, explaining that the size of the universe makes extraterrestrial life statistically plausible while emphasizing that he had seen no evidence during his presidency that extraterrestrials had made contact with Earth.
The comments followed remarks Obama made publicly in 2021 acknowledging that government footage and records exist showing objects in the sky whose movements and trajectories could not readily be explained.
Trump Directs Release of UFO and UAP Records
On February 19, 2026, President Trump announced that he would direct the Secretary of War and other federal departments and agencies to begin identifying and releasing government records related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified anomalous phenomena, unidentified flying objects, and related information.
The announcement placed renewed federal attention on historical UFO and UAP records and reflected the continuing public interest surrounding government transparency on the subject.
A Historical Parallel
The renewed discussion provides an interesting historical comparison with Carter’s experience more than five decades earlier.
In September 1973, IUFOB Director Hayden C. Hewes contacted Carter after learning that the Georgia governor had publicly discussed witnessing an unidentified object. Carter completed and returned the Bureau’s sighting form, leaving behind a handwritten record that remains part of the Hayden C. Hewes Archive.
“Carter’s report remains a remarkable piece of presidential history,” said Mindy Tautfest, CEO of IUFOB. “It represents a moment when a future president documented an anomalous event with sincerity and without political calculation. Today, as national leaders speak more openly about UAP, the historical record gains new relevance and IUFOB’s role in preserving that record becomes even more important.”
As public discussion continues to evolve, the International UFO Bureau remains committed to preserving historical records, providing context for past investigations, and supporting a rigorous, multidisciplinary approach to the study of unidentified aerial phenomena.
About the International UFO Bureau
The International UFO Bureau is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research organization headquartered in Oklahoma City. Founded in 1957, the Bureau preserves historic UFO case files and correspondence while supporting modern investigation, public education, archival preservation, and research into UFO and UAP phenomena.
Through historical documentation, investigator training, community reporting, and collaboration with researchers and subject-matter experts, the Bureau works to preserve the record of past investigations while supporting responsible study of unexplained aerial phenomena today.