A prominent online archive of declassified U.S. government documents lost nearly 3.8 million files on its main server just days after President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to release records related to unidentified flying objects and potential extraterrestrial life.

President Trump announced on social media on February 19, 2026, directing Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and other agencies to identify and declassify files on UFOs, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and aliens, citing "tremendous" public interest. He accused former President Barack Obama of disclosing classified information in recent remarks suggesting aliens might exist, though Obama clarified he saw no evidence of extraterrestrial contact during his presidency.

Trump, who said he does not know if aliens are real, described the topic as "extremely interesting and important." The directive followed Obama's podcast comments, where he noted the statistical likelihood of life elsewhere in the universe but emphasized a lack of proof of visits to Earth.

On February 20, the main document server for The Black Vault, operated by independent researcher John Greenewald Jr., was wiped clean, erasing hundreds of gigabytes across thousands of directories. The site, which has compiled nearly four million pages of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) records over nearly 30 years, housed documents on UFO sightings, CIA projects like MKUltra, the JFK assassination, military reports, and more, not just alien-related material.

Greenewald reported that server-side directories had permissions and ownership altered, calling it unprecedented in his experience running the site. His hosting provider confirmed the incident involved deliberate deletions, not data corruption, but attributed it to a maintenance error they did not initially detect. "In my honest opinion, I feel it was a very oddly timed server maintenance done by the hosting provider that went awry," Greenewald said. "They didn't catch it, and when I did, they didn't take the blame."

He dismissed conspiracy theories, noting he maintains backups and is restoring the files, urging users to report any issues while downloading. The timing fueled online speculation of a cover-up, but Greenewald does not suspect foul play.

Defense Secretary Hegseth confirmed the Pentagon is complying with Trump's order. "We've got our people working on it right now," he told reporters, adding his team would provide updates soon. No official release date has been set, and scientists have expressed skepticism about finding evidence of extraterrestrials in the files.

The Black Vault remains a key resource for UFO researchers, independent of government control. Greenewald, its sole operator, emphasized that no deletion, accidental or otherwise, will halt its mission.