Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) said this week he has reviewed classified government materials involving unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) that he described as difficult to explain, adding to renewed congressional interest following President Donald Trump’s push to release federal files related to UFOs.

Speaking in an interview with NewsNation, Burchett said he has seen reports and imagery within classified settings that he believes do not align with known U.S. or foreign military capabilities. He argued that some of the accounts being documented by military personnel warrant further public disclosure.

“These people are seeing something out there,” Burchett said while referencing government terminology for UFOs, now commonly referred to as UAPs.

Burchett described one account involving a Navy admiral who reported sonar readings of an underwater object estimated to be “almost as big as a football field” and moving at speeds exceeding 200 miles per hour beneath the surface. He said such capabilities exceed known technology.

“We don’t have anything of that capability or that size,” he said.

The Tennessee lawmaker also said he has seen classified photos and video footage he believes are difficult to reconcile with conventional explanations. He noted that common speculation attributes sightings to U.S., Russian, or Chinese technology, but argued that none of those explanations fully account for the reports as he understands them.

In additional media appearances, including on “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” Burchett said military personnel who report unusual encounters are sometimes removed from duty and referred for psychological evaluation, raising concerns about how such cases are handled within the armed forces.

He also criticized the federal government for a lack of transparency, saying he does not expect full disclosure even as pressure increases for the declassification of related materials.

“I have no faith that our federal government will release any of this stuff,” he said.

Burchett’s comments come as Trump has renewed calls for the release of government records on UAPs, saying earlier this month that initial document releases would begin soon. In February, Trump announced on Truth Social that he had directed federal agencies to identify and release records related to UFOs, UAPs, and potential extraterrestrial activity.

The issue has drawn broader public attention in recent years following the Pentagon’s acknowledgment in 2017 of a program that studied unexplained aerial encounters. Former President Barack Obama has also previously commented on the topic, saying he believes unexplained phenomena exist, while emphasizing that no confirmed evidence of extraterrestrial origin has been presented.

Burchett said he supports full declassification of available records, arguing that the public should be allowed to review the information directly.

“Just put it out there and let people decide,” he said, adding that he believes Americans can handle the disclosure.