Only a few hours after unexpectedly going viral for suggesting that alien life might truly exist, Barack Obama found himself having to clarify what he meant.

The 44th president appeared on No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen on Saturday (14 February), where he was asked what the very first question he wanted answered was when he entered the White House in 2009.

His response caught many listeners off guard. Obama directly referenced the long-running speculation that extraterrestrial evidence is secretly stored at Area 51.

For context, Area 51 is a highly classified section of Edwards Air Force Base located deep in the Nevada desert. Ever since the alleged “flying disc” incident near Roswell, New Mexico in 1947, conspiracy theories have swirled that the site contains proof of alien life. The U.S. government, however, maintains that the facility is used strictly for testing aircraft and developing experimental weapons.

During the interview, Obama acknowledged that after winning his first election nearly two decades ago, he had looked into the rumors himself. He said his inquiry confirmed what he had long believed.

“They’re real, but I haven’t seen them, and they’re not being kept in—what is it? They’re not being kept at Area 51,” he joked. He added that there was no secret underground base hiding extraterrestrials—unless, he said humorously, there was some massive conspiracy that even the president wasn’t told about.

His remarks quickly spread across social media, sparking heated discussions. Some skeptics questioned whether he might be withholding additional information from the public.

As the debate intensified, Obama later issued a clarification.

Posting on Instagram, the 61-year-old explained that he had been answering in the playful spirit of a rapid-fire segment.

“Statistically, the universe is enormous, so it’s reasonable to think life could exist somewhere,” he wrote. “But the distances between solar systems are so vast that the likelihood we’ve been visited by aliens is very small. During my presidency, I saw no evidence that extraterrestrials had contacted us. Really!”

Despite the clarification, some commenters remained unconvinced. One joked, “Blink twice if the aliens made you say this,” while another added, “No contact with us… yet.”