Former government employees and contractors can now speak to AARO and the PURSUE task force without fear of violating lifetime secrecy agreements
In a significant step toward greater transparency on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), President Donald Trump has directed the Department of War and the intelligence community to waive prior nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) for former government employees and contractors with relevant UAP information.
The move removes a major barrier that had long kept potential witnesses silent. Many individuals who worked on sensitive programs signed lifetime secrecy agreements as a condition of their security clearances. Violating those agreements could result in loss of clearance, fines, or criminal charges.
What the Directive Allows
According to senior administration officials speaking to Fox News, the new policy enables former employees and contractors to come forward and meet with designated representatives from:
- The Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)
- The President’s UAP task force, known as PURSUE (Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters)
During these authorized meetings, applicable NDAs can be waived, allowing witnesses to share information without legal risk from prior agreements.
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Important clarification: This is not a broad declassification order. Witnesses cannot release information publicly on their own. Any details shared will go through existing government review and declassification processes before potential public release.
One official stated: “People who believe that they have information have expressed reluctance in coming forward. We are eliminating that source of reluctance.”
Another added that the administration wants to remove perceived legal barriers so investigators can determine whether previously undisclosed information exists: “You don’t know what you don’t know.”
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Why This Change Matters Now
For years, lawmakers and whistleblowers have highlighted how fear of repercussions kept credible witnesses quiet. In 2023, then-Senator Marco Rubio (now Secretary of State) noted that individuals with firsthand knowledge approached Congress but remained silent due to fears for their jobs, clearances, careers, and even personal safety.
This directive directly addresses that longstanding concern by providing a safe, official channel for testimony.
Context: Ongoing UAP Transparency Efforts
The NDA waiver builds on the Trump administration’s broader push for UAP disclosure. Since early 2026, the administration has released multiple batches of previously classified or restricted files through the PURSUE program, hosted on war.gov/UFO.
Recent releases have included:
- Historical documents dating back to the 1940s
- Military reports of unexplained objects
- Infrared footage and artist renderings of sightings, including “orbs launching orbs” near sensitive U.S. national security sites
One notable recent tranche featured infrared video of a mysterious six-pointed star-shaped object tracked over the Yellow Sea on January 1, 2025.
The Pentagon has stated that additional files will be released on a rolling basis.
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What Happens Next?
Former officials and contractors who believe they have relevant UAP information can now initiate contact with AARO or PURSUE officials. Any information deemed significant will undergo review, with the goal of eventual public release where appropriate.
The administration has emphasized that the focus remains on unexplained incidents, not known foreign technology, U.S. classified programs, or natural phenomena.
This development has already sparked discussion across social media and among UAP researchers, with prominent accounts like Mario Nawfal highlighting the story as a potential game-changer for bringing hidden information to light.
Bottom Line
President Trump’s directive removes one of the biggest obstacles to fuller UAP disclosure: the fear of legal consequences for those bound by old secrecy agreements. While it does not immediately declassify everything or confirm extraterrestrial origins, it creates a clearer path for witnesses to contribute to official investigations.
As more individuals come forward through these protected channels, the public may gain deeper insight into one of the most enduring mysteries in modern history.
Sources: Fox News exclusive reporting (July 21, 2026) and related Department of War/PURSUE disclosures.
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