Dr. Phil McGraw accused the Pentagon of lying “straight to our face” and ignoring the massive number of UFO sightings reported by the general public — despite civilians being responsible for seeing the majority of the activity.

The famed TV host sensationally claimed Wednesday that there has been “a conscious, policy-driven decision to deceive the American people about what was going on in the skies” for decades — and that “we’re not getting the truth from our government.”

“[The government] has turned a blind eye to sightings by most Americans,” McGraw said in a video posted on his X account.

He alleged that the Pentagon has disregarded more than 1,800 legitimate UAP (unidentified aerial phenomena) reports submitted by members of the public.

Dr. Phil blasted the Pentagon for allegedly ignoring over 1,800 credible public UFO reports, accusing the government of deceiving the American people. X/DrPhil

McGraw said that even if most public UAP reports could be explained away, it’s not fair to those with legitimate sightings to have their accounts ignored.

“If 99% prove to be nothing to see here… fine. What about the 1%?” he said.

McGraw slammed the government for its handling of the declassification and release of documents related to UFOs and alien life.

“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.”

Footage of a UFO sighting released by the Pentagon on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. US Department of War / SWNSThe Pentagon released the fifth tranche of records documenting UFO sightings after Donald Trump called for more transparency. US Department of War / SWNS

McGraw pointed out that pilots and military members have direct channels to report UAPs to the government — but cited FAA stats claiming there are “fewer than 900,000 active pilots in the entire country.”

“That means roughly 93% of Americans have no official way of reporting a UAP sighting,” he said.

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

Through NUFORC’s catalog of data, more than 1,800 UFO reports were classified as “Tier 1,” meaning they represented the most credible sightings on record, McGraw pointed out.

President Trump shakes hands with Dr. Phil after giving a speech about taxes and Social Security on May 1, 2026, in The Villages, Florida. AFP via Getty Images

“Can some of those be explained away? I’m sure they can — maybe all of them, I don’t know,” he said.

“The point is that no one in the government is even looking at these things,” he said.

McGraw 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.”

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.

AARO said on its website that “reporting is limited at this time to current or former US Government employees, military personnel, or contractor personnel with direct knowledge of US Government programs or activities related to UAP dating back to 1945.”

McGraw slammed the government for its handling of the declassification and release of documents related to UFOs and alien life. REUTERS

“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.”

The issue has gained renewed attention under the Trump administration.

Trump, who ordered the rolling disclosure earlier this year, has said repeatedly that he is skeptical about the existence of alien life, but mandated transparency about UFOs after former President Barack Obama said of aliens during a February interview: “They’re real, but I haven’t seen them.“

The Trump administration’s most recent UFO files release revealed that government employees witnessed a triangle UFO near Colorado Springs in 2023.

On July 21, the administration announced it would waive non-disclosure agreements for former government employees and contractors with information on UFO programs — in an effort to draw out details on any highly secretive operations.