Congressman has grim take after access to UFO footage: 'We can't handle it'

Tennessee lawmaker Rep. Tim Burchett, who serves on the House Oversight Committee, raised concerns about classified UFO footage he claims to have seen. Speaking on the “Event Horizon” podcast, Burchett speculated that if extraterrestrial life forms possess advanced technology beyond humanity’s capabilities, they could pose a serious threat. He stated, “If they’re out there, they’re out there, and if they have this kind of technology, then they could turn us into a charcoal briquette.” Burchett expressed the view that human civilization would be vastly outmatched if aliens possess the ability to travel light years, fly underwater without leaving a heat trail, and exhibit other physics-defying behaviors.

Burchett’s remarks came in the context of whistleblower David Grusch, an Air Force veteran, who made claims about a secret government UFO retrieval program. The House Oversight Committee, led by Burchett and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, is preparing a hearing to discuss Grusch’s assertions. While Susan Gough, a spokesperson for the Department of Defense, stated that there is no verifiable information to support Grusch’s claims, Senator Marco Rubio revealed that additional government whistleblowers with high clearances have come forward in support of Grusch. Rubio emphasized the importance of gathering information without prejudgment or hasty conclusions and acknowledged the fear and potential risks faced by these whistleblowers.

In response to the growing interest in UFOs, the Senate recently passed new language in the Intelligence Authorization Act to enhance transparency, investigative efforts, and whistleblower protection. The updated language requires any contract employee who possesses material or information related to Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) derived from the government to notify Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, the director of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) within 60 days. AARO, a specialized department within the Pentagon, is currently investigating more than 800 cases of UAP, although only a small percentage of them are considered genuinely anomalous. Additionally, NASA is conducting its own investigation into UFOs, operating parallel to AARO, and both agencies are expected to release separate reports on their findings later this summer.