UFO Hearing: Watch the full hearing and read expert analysis

David Grusch has repeatedly referred to his interview with NewsNation during this hearing and that hour-long interview has now been officially entered into the public record. If you want to watch that interview for more context and understanding of his claims, bookmark this link so you can come back to it when the hearing is over.

In an interesting departure from typical Washington politics, Democrats and Republicans on the subcommittee appear to be showing a larger sense of bipartisanship during the UFO hearing. In a political climate where Congressional hearings are often littered with caustic barbs traded between members of the two parties, lawmakers of the committee have shown restraint and calm in their statements and questioning during this hearing.

When asked if non-human bodies were found at UAP crash sites, David Grusch told lawmakers he believed that to be true.

As witnesses appeared before the House Oversight Committee to discuss sightings of UAPs/UFOs, most lawmakers’ line of questioning seems to indicate they find their statements to be truthful.

Lawmakers questioned witnesses on allegations that the government was acting without Congressional oversight to investigate and possibly retrieve material that was characterized as “non-human” in nature.

Reports from military personnel have shown an increase in sightings of unidentified objects in recent years, though the government has repeatedly said there is no reason to believe such sightings are extraterrestrial in nature.

The majority of lawmakers have not shown much skepticism about the witnesses’ claims, save for Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) who suggested the possibility that such objects might be the result of secret programs recovered by other government agencies unaware of their origin.

Witnesses, including whistleblower David Grusch, continued to assert the U.S. was keeping secrets regarding the existence of non-human life, though Grusch declined to answer a number of specific questions in a non-secure setting.

Grusch is regularly saying that he cannot answer the subcommittee’s questions in an open hearing because of sensitivity or national security and that the furthest he can go is what was said the NewsNation interview (you can hear one mention at the end of this tweet).

After the hearing ends, you can see the entire interview here.

Grusch just claimed the U.S. has known about non-human life since the 1930s. While that claim is unverified, it is true that Americans have been captivated by the idea of aliens and UFOs for decades.

In fact, the U.S. military and government have probed possible aliens and UFOs nearly a dozen other times in history. Here’s a look at 9 past probes and what came of them.

When asked if the U.S. government was aware of intelligent, extraterrestrial life, Air Force veteran David Grusch said they were aware of non-human life and have been since the 1930s.

When asked, Grusch said he had not personally seen any non-human bodies.

While America’s most famous UFO incident occurred in 1947, reports of unexplained objects date back further, including to so-called “Foo Fighters” seen by pilots in World War II.

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., pressed Grusch on the possibility of lawmakers visiting Area 51, a military facility near Groom Lake, Nevada that has long been the center of UFO conspiracies. Attached to Edwards Air Force Base, the facility has a reputation as being the site where some suggest the government has stored recovered material from UFOs.

The CIA officially acknowledged the existence of Area 51 in 2013, but the government has denied all reports of UFO-related activity. The base has been connected with operations including the development and testing of top-secret military technology, including the development of U2 reconnaissance craft in the 1950s.

Burchett suggested the government would relocate any secret operations, something Grusch declined to address in an open setting.

During questioning by lawmakers, whistleblower David Grusch not only said he believed people had been hurt amid efforts to cover up the alleged secret UFO-retrieval program.

Grusch said he feared for his life when he decided to come forward with his whistleblower complaint to Congress. During NewsNation’s initial reporting, Grusch took heightened measures to ensure his communications with NewsNation journalists was encrypted and secure.

While Grusch spoke to NewsNation more than a month ago about many of his allegations, he made a new claim that we have not heard before during the hearing. He told lawmakers he is aware of unsanctioned government programs outside of Congressional oversight and referred to it as abuse.

He believes public tax dollars are being misappropriated to fund this secret program. He also said he could not go into specifics in a public hearing but would be open to giving more information in a closed setting.

Former U.S Navy Pilot Ryan Graves described one incident at Vandenberg Air Force Base in 2003, reported to him through his Americans for Safe Aerospace organization.

Graves described a group of contractors who witnessed an object approach the base and hover over it in the morning. A second event followed in the evening, within 24 hours.

Graves described documentation supporting the events, including other reported sightings on the base which included objects described as acting “aggressively” toward security personnel.

Graves said the object was the size of a football field, larger than other objects he was familiar with.

A response from U.S. Navy commander David Fravor.

Grusch was just asked if anyone has been murdered. His response: I have to be careful with how I answer that.

There is a lot of this in this hearing – hints and allusions to cloak-and-dagger activity but nothing that is backed up (at least not so far).

Similar statements have made before, including to NewsNation: that people have been hurt to cover up UFO revelations up and that there have been “brutal” professional and personal reprisals.

Grusch also told the subcommittee today he’s aware of current, imminent plans to retaliate against him from senior people within previous agencies he worked for.

The short answer is, they don’t. The UAP reports generated by the Department of Defense only track sightings reported by military personnel.

Based on their jobs, pilots are among those who commonly report encounters with unexplained objects in the airspace. Some of the most famous UFO reports in history have in fact come from civilian pilots.

The Federal Aviation Administration does not track sightings made by commercial pilots to civilian groups like the Mutual UFO Network, which are often discredited and subject to ridicule.

Former Navy pilot Ryan Graves founded Americans for Safe Aersopace as a pilot-led organization to track UFO sightings. Graves noted both military and civilian pilots are often reluctant to report incidents because they fear losing their jobs or being viewed as conspiracy theorists.

Former U.S. Navy Commander David Fravor recounted his experience with the so-called “Tic-Tac” UFO in 2004.

Declassified video of the white object was taken by Navy fighter jets near the USS Nimitz and received media attention after the Navy confirmed the video was authentic.

Fravor emphasized the need for proper oversight when it comes to investigating the source of mysterious objects like the one he encountered. He rejected the view of interest in UFOs as a fascination with “little green men” but instead put a focus on “figuring out what these craft are, where are they from, the technology they possess, and how do they operate.”

Whistleblower David Grusch reiterated his claims the U.S. government is operating without Congressional oversight when it comes to tracking and investigating UFOs.

Grusch said he came forward due to his commitment to truth and transparency. As a member of the UAP Task Force, Grusch said he was informed of a multi-decade crash retrieval program, to which he was denied access. Upon reporting the program to his superiors and multiple inspectors general, he said he faced retaliation.

Grush spoke exclusively to NewsNation regarding his claims, which prompted today’s hearings.

First up in opening statements was former U.S. Navy pilot Ryan Graves, who mostly stuck to the script he had prepared and released Tuesday ahead of the hearing.

He was followed by star witness David Grusch who followed the same gameplan but ended his testimony before making his closing statement.

Both men had to cut much of their statements short for time during the hearing but if you want to read their full statements, you can find it here.

In his opening statement, former U.S. Navy pilot Ryan Graves referred to UAP sightings as “routine” and frequently witnessed. Graves said both military and civilian pilots fear repercussions for speaking up about sightings and alleged the government knows more than it is letting on.

Graves stated he believes the accounts already available are only scratching the surface and that once the stigma associated with encounters is removed, more pilots will come forward.

This is a big news day in Washington. The UFO hearings are happening at the same time as the Hunter Biden plea deal and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is appearing in front of another Congressional Committee right down the hall from this hearing.

NewsNation Washington D.C. Bureau Chief Mike Viqueira wrote me it’s likely the UFO hearings aren’t making GOP leaders happy from that standpoint. Big GOP issues that are directly related to the Republicans’ 2024 election strategy – Hunter Biden and immigration – may be drowned out today.

In opening statements, lawmakers are calling the hearing a bipartisan effort to address what they called a key government principle of transparency. Citing the significant number of reports around UAPs or UFOs, representatives asked that the issue be taken seriously and thoughtfully.

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., called out the military for holding the position that UFOs are not an issue of national security since 1969.

Burchett recognized lawmakers and witnesses who have attempted to draw attention to UFOs over the years and been subject to ridicule and scorn for their efforts.

Lawmakers praised those willing to come forward with accounts of UFO sightings despite fears of career retribution. They promised to bring forward transparency and work to restore faith in government in a time of partisan division.

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., who just spoke, learned last night that he wouldn’t chair the subcommittee hearing today. Burchett had spearheaded the effort for a congressional hearing on the matter and has been speaking to NewsNation extensively over the past few weeks.

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., will be a key voice at today’s hearing. Burchett has accused the military of keeping UFO data hidden for decades and feels the hearing’s objective is to apply pressure on federal intelligence officials in order to get them to release records related to UFOs.

Some lawmakers are paying more attention to the proceedings than others. The Hill reports House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., recently brushed off a question about Grusch’s claims.

“I will continue to see, but I think if we had found a UFO, I think the Department of Defense would tell us, because they probably want to request more money,” McCarthy told The Hill. “I’m very supportive of letting the American public see whatever we have.”

California Democrat Rep. Pete Aguilar also rebuffed concerns about UAPs and their origins, The Hill reported.

“There are so many things that we get an opportunity to dig into and talk about here. It’s really the reason why people run for Congress, is to help their constituents and to weigh in on serious things. And this is just not in my top 20 that constituents in my district are asking me about or talking about,” Aguilar told The Hill.

Meanwhile, others are interested in the questions that might be raised by what the witnesses will have to say.

“My primary interest in this topic is if there are … object(s) operating over restricted air space, it’s not ours and we don’t know whose it is, that’s a problem that we need to get to the bottom of,” said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

The star witness of today’s hearing is whistleblower David Grusch, an Air Force veteran and former member of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, who first brought his claims in a complaint to Congress and detailed his accusations exclusively to NewsNation last month. Grusch’s opening statement, released yesterday, reveals he is expected to repeat much of his claims during sworn testimony before lawmakers today.

Also testifying is former Navy pilot Ryan Graves who told NewsNation he has first-hand accounts of UFOs and former U.S. Navy commander David Fravor, one of the pilots who flew close to the viral video of a Tic Tac-shaped craft.

Good morning, and welcome to NewsNation’s coverage as lawmakers hear testimony from witnesses who claim the U.S. has been hiding evidence of a UFO-retreival program for decades.

Whistleblower David Grusch first came forward with his claims more than a month ago and the issue has captivated the nation, as is evidenced by the hundreds-strong line snaking through the U.S. Capitol Wednesday morning.

Only six people in the line will get a spot in the main hearing room and the rest will have to be moved to an overflow room on another floor, NewsNation’s Joe Khalil reports. This kind of interest is pretty irregular for the typical Congressional hearing.

NewsNation’s Washington Bureau Chief Mike Viqueria says he has covered consequential hearings in the Rayburn building of the U.S. Capitol for years and he has never seen a line this long, or this much interest from the general public.