Federal Policy

Air Force Retains Classified Videos of 2023 Colorado Base Incident Despite Trump UFO Order

The continued classification of the footage illustrates the gap between executive disclosure directives and agency-level implementation authority.

The Congressional Times · August 8, 2026

Two videos recorded on a service member's personal cellphone on consecutive nights in 2023, purportedly depicting a 100-foot black triangular object over an unspecified Colorado military installation, remain classified and unavailable for public or congressional review, according to sources familiar with the footage who spoke to the New York Post (published August 8, 2026). The footage has not been publicly acknowledged by the Department of the Air Force, and no official description of the recorded object appears in any released document.

The retention of the videos occurs against the backdrop of an executive order issued by President Donald Trump intended to create pathways for military and intelligence whistleblowers to disclose UAP-related information without facing legal reprisal. The specific text and Federal Register citation of that executive order have not been reproduced in available source material; the existence of the order is reported by the New York Post citing sources familiar with the footage.

Sources told the New York Post that the videos remain beyond the reach of the Trump order because the classification was applied at the agency level and the directive does not automatically declassify materials — it modifies whistleblower protection frameworks rather than overriding existing classification authority under Executive Order 13526 or its successors. Whether the footage has been reviewed by any congressional oversight body, including the Senate Armed Services Committee or the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, is not established in available public records.

The Department of the Air Force had not issued a public statement confirming or denying the existence of the videos as of the date of this report. No Freedom of Information Act response, congressional testimony, or Inspector General referral referencing the specific 2023 Colorado footage appears in publicly searchable federal records databases.

What remains unknown: the specific Colorado installation involved, the precise classification authority and originating agency responsible for the designation, whether any member of Congress has been given a classified briefing on the footage, and the current disposition of the service member who recorded the video. A FOIA request to the Department of the Air Force, a formal request to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) under its congressional reporting mandate, or a classified briefing request from the relevant congressional committees would be the most direct public-record paths toward resolution.

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