Renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson told TMZ that while he supports the Pentagon using some of his tax money to investigate Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, he does not think the U.S. government is secretly covering up the existence of extraterrestrials.
"Do you think the government is that competent that they can actually keep such a secret?" deGrasse Tyson said. "Oh, my gosh, when did you get that much confidence in the U.S. government?"
Tyson said that if an "alien invasion" took place, the odds are likely there would be better evidence because of the number of people who have access to smartphones and high-resolution cameras for photos and videos.
"Here's what I'd rather think: that if we had an alien invasion, more than the U.S. government would know about it," he said. "We would know about it. We, with cameras and smartphones, we are crowdsourcing an alien invasion of Earth because everybody has a camera, high-resolution camera."
Whistleblowers in the military and intelligence communities said in recent Congressional hearings that not only has the U.S. recovered extraterrestrial aircraft, but also alien life forms in those crafts.
NPR reported in July that Retired U.S. Air Force Maj. David Grusch testified that he had access to information allegedly proving the government has known about extraterrestrials since the 1930s and has worked to keep the information secret from the public and Congress.
"My testimony is based on information I have been given by individuals with a longstanding track record of legitimacy and service to this country — many of whom also shared compelling evidence in the form of photography, official documentation, and classified oral testimony," NPR reported Grusch telling Congress during the hearing.
Grusch said that he had not personally witnessed any alien craft or remains, but had interviewed some 40 individuals while on the UAP task force for the Pentagon.
DeGrasse Tyson said that there are things in the sky that remain a mystery and he believes they should continue to be investigated by the government.
"I don't want to be susceptible to a risk that we don't otherwise know about," he said.
Pentagon spokeswoman Susan Gough denied allegations of vehicle recoveries and reverse engineering of alien crafts.
"[We have not found] any verifiable information to substantiate claims that any programs regarding the possession or reverse engineering of extraterrestrial materials have existed in the past or exist currently," she told NPR in July.