Dr Phil Accuses US Government of Lying 'Straight to Our Face' Over Ignored Civilian UFO Reports

Dr Phil McGraw has accused the US government of ignoring more than 1,800 UFO reports submitted by ordinary Americans that he describes as legitimate, alleging a deliberate, policy-driven cover-up spanning decades.

The television personality made the claim in a video posted to his X account on Wednesday, arguing that, in his view, the government has systematically excluded the public from official UFO reporting channels despite civilians accounting for the overwhelming majority of sightings.

Dr Phil's UFO Claims Highlight a Reporting Gap

The issue has simmered for years but gained fresh urgency amid recent US government releases of information on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP).

Dr Phil's latest intervention zeroes in on what he sees as a glaring contradiction: pilots and military personnel have direct channels to report UAP encounters to the government, he noted, citing aviation figures that he said show there are fewer than 900,000 active pilots in the entire country.

That, he argued, leaves roughly 93 per cent of Americans with no official way to file a UFO report.

The only options available to the public, he pointed out, are two private, non-government databases, the National UFO Reporting Centre (NUFORC) and the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), that allow anyone to submit reports about UFOs and unexplained encounters.

He said that, through NUFORC's catalogue, more than 1,800 UFO reports had been classified as 'Tier 1', which he described as the most credible sightings on record.

'If 99 per cent prove to be nothing to see here... fine. What about the 1 per cent?' he asked. 'The point is that no one in the government is even looking at these things.'

Pentagon UFO Office Still Not Accepting Public Reports

The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), the Pentagon division responsible for examining UFO sightings, has repeatedly promised to begin accepting public reports, but has yet to do so.

On its website, AARO states that, at present, 'reporting is limited ... to current or former US Government employees, military personnel, or contractor personnel with direct knowledge of US Government programmes or activities related to UAP dating back to 1945.'

'The office also notes: 'AARO is NOT currently accepting reports of UAP sightings/encounters from the general public. In the future, reporting eligibility will be expanded to the general public and include reports of any event related to UAP.'

Dr Phil said if the government is serious about transparency and disclosure, it needs to be 'cross-checking what civilians are reporting against what the military already knows.' 'Not thanks but no thanks, don't call us, we'll call you,' he said.

'They should be saying 'Here's how to submit that report through the proper channels.' But there is no channel, proper or otherwise. Eighty years of trust us has gotten us nowhere.'

UAP File Releases and Official Findings

The issue has gained renewed attention amid continuing releases of U.S. government files related to UFOs and UAPs. During the Trump administration, public discussion of UAPs increased, and subsequent administrations have overseen further disclosures.

Former president Barack Obama has discussed unidentified aerial phenomena as 'real' in media interviews while saying he had not personally seen them, comments that have been cited in broader debates over transparency.

According to Tech Times, AARO says it has reviewed more than 1,800 cases since 2022 and has reported finding no verified evidence of extraterrestrial technology or non-human origin in any resolved case.

Some online commentators have claimed that a so-called PURSUE programme (Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters) has released multiple tranches of declassified UAP records; IBTimes UK cannot independently verify these claims.

'The Government Has Lied Straight to Our Face'

Dr Phil's frustration is palpable. 'Most of you are as angry as I am that the government has lied straight to our face,' he said.

'This is what really pisses me off. There is not one government agency that lets everyday Americans report UAPs. And the overwhelming majority of sightings come from the general public and the government never investigates them.'

His remarks reflect his personal view and are not supported by any official acknowledgement of wrongdoing.

Dr Phil did not acknowledge other existing federal reporting mechanisms, and IBTimes UK has not independently assessed whether any agencies accept UAP reports from the general public beyond those limited to government-affiliated personnel.