Former President Barack Obama is walking back a now viral soundbite about aliens after joking on Brian Tyler Cohen’s podcast, saying, “they’re real.” 

In a follow-up posted to Instagram, Obama said the odds of life somewhere in the universe are high, but the chances that aliens have actually visited Earth are “low.”

Obama’s comments came during a lightning-round Q&A with the progressive podcast host and YouTuber, when Cohen outright asked, “Are aliens real?” 

“They’re real, but I haven’t seen them,” Obama replied, casually sipping out of a cup. It’s a visual moment reminiscent of Katt Williams "Club Shay Shay" meme or Wendy Williams’ iconic “sips tea” gifs. Though in this instance, the 44th president was being more casual than showboating for the masses. 

Obama's response set off headlines and online debates over whether the former commander-in-chief knew more than he was letting on. He also added that aliens are not “housed in Area 51” and joked there would have to be “a massive conspiracy that even the president of the United States is unaware of” for that to be true.

After the clip spread like wildfire over the weekend, Obama clarified that he was “trying to adhere to the spirit of the speed round” and specified that he was not purposely being obtuse about whether little green men are hiding out in Nevada. 

Through his explanation online, he gave a broader view that touched more on logic and “the odds” when it comes to the existence of life beyond The Blue Planet. 

He said the universe is so huge that “the odds are favorable” that life exists somewhere else, but vast distances between solar systems make it unlikely Earth has had visitors. He stressed that he saw “no evidence” of extraterrestrials contacting Earth during his presidency.​

It’s not the first time Obama has weighed in on UFOs. In a 2021 appearance on James Corden’s late-night show, he said one of his first questions in office was whether there was a lab where the U.S. keeps “alien specimens and spaceship” — and was told no. Still, he acknowledged there are recordings of unexplained aerial phenomena that experts are still trying to understand.

See more from the interview below: