Bill Clinton sent officials to search for aliens at Nevada’s Area 51

Former US president Bill Clinton says he sent federal agents to find out if aliens were hiding out at Nevada’s so-called Area 51.

Former US president Bill Clinton has admitted in a new interview that he sent federal agents to find out if aliens were hiding out at Nevada’s so-called Area 51.

In an interview on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Mr Clinton said while he was president he and Chief of Staff John Podesta, “made every attempt to find out everything about Roswell,” and even “sent people to Area 51 to make sure there were no aliens.”

Former US president Bill Clinton talks to James Corden.

In comments that will delight fans of alien conspiracy theories, Mr Clinton said he sent his National Security Adviser at the time, the late Sandy Burger, to the mysterious Nevada Air Force base,

“I said we got to find out how we’re going to deal with this because that’s where we do a lot of our invisibility research in terms of technology, like how we fly airplanes that aren’t picked up by radar and all that,” Mr Clinton said. “So that’s why they’re so secretive.”

The Extraterrestrial Highway near Rachel, Nevada, runs along the eastern border of Area 51. Picture: AP

“But there’s no aliens that I know [of],” he added.

The world’s leading astronomers, however, told the former president a few years ago that there’s up to a 95 per cent chance that we are not alone in the universe.

A warning sign is posted at the back gate at the top-secret military installation at the Nevada Test and Training Range known as Area 51 near Rachel, Nevada. Picture: AFP

“On the other hand, Hillary and I went to Hawaii in 2018 to the big island where all the telescopes are on top of the mountain, including the Keck telescope, the largest in the world, and several countries have scientific teams there,” the 42nd President told Corden. “So after we toured the telescope we went down and met with them.”

“I said ‘Do you guys argue about the likelihood of life in outer space?’ He said we have huge arguments,” he continued.

“He said, ‘there are those of us who think it’s 85 per cent likely and those of us who think it’s 95 per cent likely.’ And these are people who spend their lives doing this,” Mr Clinton said.

Mr Clinton said the question of life beyond Earth should inspire the world us to take care of the planet.

“There are lots of mysteries out there which is why I think we should take care of this planet. I think we should hang onto it if we can,” he said.

“But I also think it should keep us humble. There’s a lot of stuff we don’t know.”

Originally published as Bill Clinton sent officials to search for aliens at Nevada’s Area 51