The US Department of War released its sixth batch of declassified and historical unidentified anomalous phenomena records on Friday, 18 September, prompting fresh debate online over whether the disclosure was meaningful or politically timed. Some social-media users characterised the release as a distraction from other issues facing President Donald Trump's administration, but the criticism does not establish that distraction was the purpose of the release.
The files were published under the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters, or PURSUE, the government programme created after Trump directed federal agencies on 19 February to identify and release records related to UAPs, UFOs and possible extraterrestrial life. The Department has said the material is being reviewed and released in stages as records are located, assessed and declassified.
