Dr. Phil McGraw has accused the U.S. government of a "conscious, policy-driven decision to deceive the American people" regarding unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), commonly known as UFOs. In a video released Wednesday, McGraw asserted that for decades, the Pentagon has disregarded a substantial number of credible UAP reports submitted by the public, despite civilians being responsible for the majority of sightings.
McGraw alleged that over 1,800 legitimate UAP reports from the public have been ignored by the Pentagon. He stated that while most sightings might eventually be explained, the government's failure to acknowledge or investigate these reports is unfair to those who have witnessed them. "Most of you are as angry as I am that the government has lied straight to our face," McGraw said.
He further criticized the government for its handling of UAP-related document declassification and release. According to McGraw, there is no official government agency that currently allows everyday Americans to report UAP sightings, despite the overwhelming majority of these occurrences being reported by the general public. Military personnel and pilots have direct reporting channels, but McGraw pointed to FAA statistics indicating fewer than 900,000 active pilots in the U.S., suggesting that approximately 93% of Americans lack an official avenue to report a UAP sighting.
The primary options available to the public for reporting are two private, non-government databases: the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) and the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON). McGraw highlighted that NUFORC's data includes over 1,800 reports classified as "Tier 1," representing the most credible sightings on record. He argued that even if many of these could be explained, the government is not actively examining them. For genuine transparency and disclosure, McGraw believes the government should be cross-referencing civilian reports with military knowledge, rather than dismissing them.
The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), the Pentagon division tasked with examining UAP sightings, has stated on its website that reporting is currently limited to current or former U.S. government employees, military personnel, or contractors with direct knowledge of U.S. government programs or activities related to UAP dating back to 1945. AARO has indicated that reporting eligibility will be expanded to the general public in the future to include reports of any UAP-related event.
The issue of UAPs has seen renewed attention in recent years. The Trump administration ordered a rolling disclosure of UAP-related records. While President Trump has expressed skepticism about alien life, he mandated transparency concerning UFOs following remarks by former President Barack Obama in February 2026, who stated that aliens "are real, but I haven’t seen them." The Trump administration's release of UAP files in July 2026 included accounts of government employees witnessing a triangle UFO near Colorado Springs in 2023. The administration also announced in July 2026 that it would waive non-disclosure agreements for former government employees and contractors with information on UAP programs, aiming to elicit details about secretive operations.