The House of Representatives committee is gearing up for a highly-anticipated hearing on UFOs this Wednesday, where significant claims about extraterrestrial life are expected to be presented in the most high-profile setting to date.
One of the witnesses scheduled to appear is David Grusch, a former intelligence official who made headlines in June with his assertion that the US possesses “intact and partially intact” alien vehicles. He will reiterate his allegations before a seemingly supportive group of congress members, including Tim Burchett and Anna Paulina Luna, who are leading the committee’s investigation into UFOs, as per a report by The Guardian.
Both Burchett and Luna have shown openness to Grusch’s claims. In July, Burchett stated that alien crafts have technology that could be destructive, even comparing it to turning something into a “charcoal briquette.” He also asserted that the US is witnessing unidentified aerial phenomena that may not be of earthly origin.
The upcoming hearing will delve into what the government knows, or doesn’t know, about UFOs, spurred by Grusch’s revelations and concerns about the lack of transparency on the subject.
What are the Claims?
David Grusch, a former intelligence official who oversaw the examination of unexplained anomalous phenomena (UAP) in a US Department of Defense agency, made headlines globally when he claimed that the US had been gathering unidentified non-human aircraft for an extended period, according to a report by the Guardian.
Grusch, a military veteran who previously served in the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and National Reconnaissance Office, came forward as a whistleblower and shared this information with various media outlets, discussing the unidentified crafts.
“These are retrieving non-human origin technical vehicles, call it a spacecraft if you will, non-human exotic origin vehicles that have either landed or crashed,” Grusch told NewsNation.
According to The Debrief,Grusch held the position of senior technical adviser for Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) analysis at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. During this time, he possessed Top Secret/Secret Compartmented Information clearance. Additionally, he served as a senior intelligence officer in the National Reconnaissance Office, accumulating a total of 14 years of experience in intelligence-related roles.
While working on the UAP task force, Grusch claims that he was denied access to a materials recovery program that involved tangible evidence of the crafts, as per a report by Independent.
“I thought it was totally nuts and I thought at first I was being deceived, it was a ruse,” Grusch told NewsNation. “People started to confide in me. Approach me. I have plenty of senior, former intelligence officers that came to me, many of which I knew almost my whole career, that confided in me that they were part of a program.”
According to Grusch’s statements to The Debrief, he claims to have prepared numerous briefings on UFOs for Congress. However, last year, he made the decision to disclose hours of classified information and data regarding the materials recovery program. Grusch asserts that the materials recovery program was intentionally shielded from proper congressional oversight, the Independent report said.
A declassified version of the document, shared with The Debrief, states that Mr. Grusch possesses firsthand knowledge that UAP-related information is being concealed or withheld from Congress with the intention of obstructing legitimate congressional oversight of the UAP program.
As per the complaint, in July 2021, Grusch confidentially provided classified information to the Department of Defense Inspector General concerning the withheld information. However, he believes that his identity was disclosed. Presently, Grusch is filing a whistleblower complaint, alleging that he has faced retaliation for disclosing confidential information.
Is There Truth to His Claims?
According to a Vox report, some people who claim to be whistleblowers can be categorized into three groups: credible truth-tellers with substantial evidence, unreliable individuals, and those who fall somewhere in between.
In the case of Grusch, he admits that he lacks firsthand knowledge of the alleged programs involving UFOs. He has not personally witnessed any crafts or encountered deceased alien pilots. Instead, he states that he is relaying information shared with him by others. The identities and credibility of these sources remain unclear, raising doubts about the veracity of their claims.
As of now, Grusch has not publicly disclosed any specific details regarding these allegations. His supporters argue that revealing classified information would be illegal, hence his silence on the matter. They also emphasize that he has provided the classified information he possessed to the inspector general and Congress, highlighting the legal consequences of lying to these entities, the report says.
However, skeptics question whether Grusch is merely retelling unfounded stories that have long circulated within the UFO-believing community. They suggest that he may be either overly trusting or intentionally fabricating information. It is noteworthy that reputable media outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and Politico declined to publish Grusch’s story, while The Debrief, a UFO-friendly publication, took it up, the report explains. This, combined with previous instances where sensational claims have fizzled out, adds to the skepticism surrounding the current situation.
As per the Vox report, UFOs gained credibility through the involvement of the New York Times and Congress. Journalist Leslie Kean compiled credible reports in her book, which was supported by former White House chief of staff John Podesta. A former Defense official Christopher Mellon introduced Kean to Luis Elizondo, who headed a secret government initiative investigating unidentified aerial objects.
Later, The New York Times published a story on Elizondo’s claims to have led a secret government initiative investigating unidentified aerial objects, supported by authenticated videos of military pilots’ encounters, in 2017.
Despite skepticism, the story prompted intensified investigations and the establishment of the “Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force” by the Pentagon. David Grusch worked in this office.
After that, prominent figures, including Barack Obama and John Ratcliffe, acknowledged encounters with unexplained objects. Former CIA director John Brennan suggested the involvement of a different form of life. While everyone acknowledges mysterious occurrences, direct references to the “alien hypothesis” remain rare.
Both believers and skeptics anticipate that the intelligence community’s inspector general and Congress will review Grusch’s classified claims. However, skeptics predict that the specific details provided by Grusch may never be disclosed. They anticipate that congressional investigations will either yield inconclusive results or debunk his claims.
What Will Happen at the Hearing?
The upcoming hearing will feature several key witnesses, according to The Guardian, including David Grusch, who made the initial claims about the US possessing alien vehicles. Joining him will be David Fravor, a former navy commander who reported a strange object in the sky during a training mission in 2004, and Ryan Graves, a retired navy pilot who claimed to have seen unidentified aerial phenomena off the Atlantic coast daily for a couple of years.
The path to this hearing has not been smooth, as there were obstacles and pushback from federal officials regarding the investigation into Grusch’s claims. However, the committee remains determined to shed light on the matter and uncover the truth.
While it is unlikely that concrete proof of UFOs will be presented at the hearing, it is expected to raise significant questions. Grusch will likely provide a detailed account of his allegations about the government’s knowledge of UFOs, possibly revealing further evidence of extraterrestrial activity. Additionally, Representative Tim Burchett has hinted at having compelling evidence of the US witnessing phenomena in the sky that could be of extraterrestrial origin.
Parts of this report were published on June 12, 2023.
