AUSTIN, Texas — The Joe Rogan Experience, a podcast that’s no stranger to controversy, dropped a bombshell on May 1, 2025, when physicist Hal Puthoff took the mic. Known for his work in advanced propulsion and government-funded research, Puthoff didn’t mince words. He claimed the United States possesses at least 10 non-human craft, a statement that’s got the internet buzzing and skeptics sharpening their pencils.
Puthoff, a figure tied to classified projects, spoke with a calm that belied the weight of his words. He described remote viewing—a technique once explored by the CIA—as a real, tested phenomenon. Then he went further, asserting that extraterrestrial life isn’t just a sci-fi trope but a reality backed by physical evidence. The U.S., he said, has been sitting on these craft for years, a claim that aligns with whispers from declassified Pentagon reports.
Back in 2020, the Department of Defense’s Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force was greenlit to investigate objects zipping through restricted airspace. A June 2021 report admitted 144 cases couldn’t be explained, with some involving objects defying known aerodynamics. No aliens were confirmed, but the door was left wide open. Puthoff’s remarks lean hard into that gap, echoing what congressional hearings have tiptoed around since.
On April 16, 2025, a Senate Armed Services Committee session grilled Pentagon officials on UAP funding. Lawmakers demanded transparency, citing national security. No one mentioned craft in hangars, but the urgency was clear—something’s up there, and it’s not just drones. Puthoff’s appearance on Rogan’s show, just weeks later, feels like a match tossed on dry grass.
The physicist’s resume adds heft. He’s worked on DARPA projects and advised the government on exotic tech. His claims aren’t new; they mirror what’s surfaced in Navy pilot testimonies and grainy videos released by the Pentagon. Those clips, declassified in 2020, show objects moving in ways that stump engineers. No official has confirmed alien origins, but no one’s ruled it out either.
Rogan, for his part, kept the conversation grounded, letting Puthoff unpack decades of research without pushing for theatrics. The episode, available on Spotify, has racked up millions of streams, with listeners split between awe and disbelief. Government agencies haven’t commented on Puthoff’s statements, and the White House has stayed mum.
The Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, set up in 2022, continues to catalog UAP sightings. Its latest report, dated March 2025, logged 757 new cases, with 30% unresolved. No mention of recovered craft, but the numbers keep climbing. Meanwhile, NASA’s independent UAP study, concluded in 2023, urged better data collection without confirming extraterrestrial life.
Puthoff’s claims land in a world already primed for answers. Public interest in UAPs has surged since the Navy’s 2019 admission that pilots regularly encounter unexplained objects. Congress has pushed for briefings, and whistleblower protections were beefed up in 2023 to encourage insiders to talk. Whether Puthoff’s one of them or just a loud voice in the chorus, his words have struck a nerve.
The episode aired on May 1, 2025. The Pentagon’s UAP reports are public. Congressional hearings are ongoing. No government source has verified non-human craft. The debate rolls on.