Overview
Journalist Ross Coulthart has claimed that President Donald Trump was briefed on an alleged long-running U.S. program involving the recovery of crashed non-human craft and attempts to reverse-engineer them. The assertion was made during an appearance on NewsNation’s Reality Check and was reported by Cybernews on October 21, 2026. The report did not provide documentary evidence, independent confirmation, or details identifying when or how the alleged briefing took place.
“I know the president knows full well now about the existence of the legacy retrieval and reverse engineering program,” Coulthart said. His comments appeared to frame the alleged program as part of a broader debate within the White House over whether information about unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP, can remain undisclosed.
Claims About an Alleged Retrieval Program
Coulthart described the program as a “legacy retrieval and reverse engineering” effort, allegedly responsible for intercepting or recovering non-human vehicles and studying their technology. Such claims have circulated for years among UFO researchers and whistleblower advocates, but no publicly verified evidence has established that the U.S. government possesses non-human craft or operates a reverse-engineering program based on them.
The claim also comes amid increased official attention to UAP. Congressional hearings and former military personnel have brought allegations of hidden programs into the public arena, while the Pentagon and other government bodies have maintained that available evidence does not demonstrate extraterrestrial origins. Public investigations have generally emphasized the need to distinguish unexplained sightings from evidence of non-human technology.
Devin Nunes’ Role
Coulthart identified Devin Nunes as a significant figure allegedly connected to the process. Nunes served as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee from 2015 to 2019, a position that gave him access to classified information and oversight responsibilities involving U.S. intelligence agencies. He later became chief executive of Trump Media & Technology Group, the company associated with Trump’s Truth Social platform.
In February 2025, Trump appointed Nunes chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, which provides assessments concerning intelligence activities. That official position confirms Nunes’ senior role in intelligence-related matters, but it does not demonstrate that he oversees a UAP retrieval or reverse-engineering program. Neither Coulthart’s comments, as presented in the report, nor the available source material supplied evidence linking Nunes to such an operation.
Skepticism and the Question of Disclosure
Reaction among Reddit users was largely skeptical. Some commenters questioned whether prominent political figures were being used to shape public perceptions of UAP or to support a potential psychological operation. The response reflects a longstanding divide within the UFO community: some believe the government is concealing revolutionary technology, while others suspect that extraordinary claims are being used to create confusion or attract attention.
Coulthart also suggested that disclosure could become increasingly difficult for officials to avoid. However, the possibility of future disclosure is speculation, not confirmation that a hidden program exists. For now, the reported briefing remains an unverified claim, and no official statement from the White House, Nunes, the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, or the Department of Defense was included to substantiate it. Further evidence—such as authenticated records, testimony under oath, or corroboration from independent sources—would be necessary to assess the allegation.
