On Tuesday, a UFO whistleblower made a dramatic appearance on Capitol Hill, revealing what he described as startling secrets withheld by the U.S. government, despite its pledges to be transparent about alien life.

David Grusch, a veteran of the Air Force, joined members of the House Oversight Committee’s Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, urging the White House to unveil crucial evidence proving the existence of UFOs.

Grusch, along with lawmakers, asserted that documents from the Russian and Brazilian governments—detailing military encounters with UFOs and extraterrestrials—have been verified as authentic.

When questioned about the number of alien species recognized by the U.S. government, Grusch responded, “It ranges from corporeal bipedal life forms to what I would call sentient plasmoid life, with several species being known to the U.S. government.”

In layman’s terms, the whistleblower claimed that the government is aware of alien life forms that include both solid, two-legged beings and intelligent plasma-like entities lacking conventional bodies.

Grusch publicly stated that there have been ‘several dozen’ cases involving the government examining what he called ‘non-human biologics’ – which UFO researchers have claimed means recovered bodies from crashed UFOs.

Multiple members of Congress also used the event to publicly expose the alleged withholding of top-secret information they claimed was being revealed to lawmakers in classified locations but was then covered up before reaching the American people. 

Congressman Eric Burlison of Missouri said: ‘For decades, the American people have been treated like children, told there are government secrets they don’t get to know. The American people are done with that answer.’ 

David Grusch (Center) is an Air Force veteran turned UFO whistleblower. Grusch joined members of the House Oversight Committee Tuesday to reveal secrets of alien life 

The November 2025 documentary ‘The Age of Disclosure’ alleged that there’s been an 80-year cover-up on UFOs and alien technology

Grusch spent 14 years in the Air Force before working as an intelligence officer for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), which builds and launches surveillance satellites for the Pentagon.

From 2019 to 2021, he represented NRO on the UAP Task Force, but eventually became a whistleblower after allegedly learning that elements of the US government had prevented Congressional oversight on matters related to extraterrestrials.

In 2023, he testified before Congress, claiming that secret government departments had been running UFO retrieval and reverse-engineering programs for decades.

Now, a senior advisor to Burlison, Grusch and the House members claimed that the group of whistleblowers gathered on Capitol Hill was targeted by the government and intelligence communities in order to keep the existence of alien life a secret.

That group included retired US Navy Admiral Tim Gallaudet, an American oceanographer who has testified that he witnessed ‘UAPs are interacting with humanity’ while serving as the Commander of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command.

Burlison and fellow House members Anna Paulina Luna, Tim Burchett, and Jared Moskowitz called on President Trump to officially provide permanent immunity to any whistleblower with knowledge of UFOs and extraterrestrials.

Specifically, the House members said they are calling on government or military whistleblowers to reveal the locations of where alleged extraterrestrial technology has been kept.

Meanwhile, House members also exposed how the alleged plot to keep the physical evidence from the public was being carried out by private companies, which have reportedly been handed technology from another world.

Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett (Center) claimed private companies have been handed alien technology so the US government can avoid disclosing its existence

Burchett said: ‘If Congress says we’re going to go to Area 51, everybody says, “go to Area 51 Burchett,” all I’m going to get there is a good dad-gum t-shirt.’

‘The problem you have is that these things have been moved into private entities so that they don’t have a FOIA [Freedom of Information Act],’ the Tennessee congressman continued.

‘I could use FOIA for Ford Motor Company, but it doesn’t mean they’re going to do anything. That’s why they moved it out of the federal government and that’s part of the roadblocks.’

Burchett also stated that staff members tasked with overseeing classified information have attempted to derail meetings held within Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities – better known as SCIFs, where top-secret information can be discussed away from the public or listening devices.

One of the incidents lawmakers said they reviewed involved the Brazilian military allegedly capturing non-human entities and their UFOs and burying the truth.

The 1996 incident in Varginha, Brazil has become an infamous UFO story known as the ‘The E.T. of Varginha.’

Burlison revealed on Tuesday: ‘Today, Aldo Rebelo… came forward and admitted that this event was true.’

A statue depicting the alleged E.T. of Varginha

Rebelo, who was a federal deputy in Brazil at the time of the Varginha incident, went on to become the country’s Minister of Defense in 2015, giving him access to the Brazilian military’s classified archives on UFOs.

‘We are no longer asking hypothetical questions anymore. Congress is requesting specific records and videos. These agencies and contractors know that we know that they exist and we’re going to get them released,’ Burlison continued.

‘We continue to receive credible claims of recovered crafts and reverse engineering programs that may have operated for decades outside of any oversight. Those claims point to specific facilities, contractors, records and people.’

‘Congress has a Constitutional duty to follow them.’

Starting on May 8, the Pentagon has been releasing tranches of declassified files, images and videos of alleged UFOs and unexplained aerial phenomena.

As of June 9, two batches have been released and a third has been widely speculated to be days away from release.

However, skeptics have said the files have not provided any concrete evidence of extraterrestrial life, and many of the images could be explained as camera errors or misidentified objects, such as balloons, birds and drones.

A companion of Brian Hooker has shared that a recorded phone conversation made shortly after Lynette Hooker’s disappearance implies that Brian was actually in the water with her during the incident, a detail that contradicts his previous account.

According to Brian’s statement to the authorities, he and Lynette departed from Hope Town in the Bahamas around 7:30 p.m. on April 4. During this voyage, Brian claimed that turbulent waters caused Lynette to fall off their dinghy. He recounted paddling to the safety of Marsh Harbour, where he arrived at approximately 4 a.m. on April 5.

The couple was en route back to their sailboat, Soulmate, which served as their home during retirement, when tragedy struck. Their adventurous lifestyle was documented on social media, showcasing their frequent sailing trips around the U.S. and the Caribbean.

Brian Hooker was seen leaving the Central Police Station in Freeport, The Bahamas, on April 13, 2026, after being questioned regarding his wife’s disappearance. He maintains that Lynette fell overboard earlier in the month. (Credit: Matthew Symons for News Media)

Two days following Lynette’s disappearance, Brian reached out to a fellow sailor, Blaine Stevenson. Stevenson later told News Media that a portion of their conversation seemed to suggest that Brian was in the water that night, a claim that challenges his initial story of remaining in the dinghy as Lynette was swept away.

Lynette Hooker and Brian Hooker seen in a picture taken in 2023 on a small boat. (John Waters)

“I mean she’s a regular swimmer, not like a athlete or anything, but she’s f—— determined, and she was hit with a flare pistol I had slid down one of the Sponsons down towards the stern and the dinghy. I took so many waves over the dingy. I bailed about five or six times. I had to bail out the cockpit, but the the inside also got wet and so, and the dinghy key was not attached to me, you know, so when we were f—— around trying to get back in the boat,” Hooker said on the call.

Divers with the Coast Guard Investigative Service search for clues in the search for missing woman Lynette Hooker. (Petty Officer 1st Class Riley Perkofski)

On the same call, on several instances Brian Hooker said he was inside the dinghy.

“The waves were three foot and I was trying to ship the oars and one of the pins on the oars broke and that f—– dropped over the side and I was yelling for her the whole time and I yelled to her that I lost the oar and I threw the anchor out and anchored the dinghy. And just yeah I yelled I couldn’t see her anymore…the moon has not risen yet. And the waves were doing their thing and you know, you I saw her I think twice I threw her a flotation cushion that we used to sit on the dingy, you know right after she went in, but I didn’t I couldn’t tell if she got it or not.”

Kenneth Engerrand, an adjunct professor of maritime law at the University of Houston Law Center and shareholder in the Brown Sims law firm, told News Media that Brian Hooker’s story is “inconsistent” and said the case is “getting more damning by the minute.”

“He’s saying they were in water, but at the same time, he’s bailing. And at the time, she’s quickly, immediately away from him by the waves and the wind and whatnot. Everything about this is inconsistent,” Engerrand said.

The boat Soulmate is docked at the U.S. Coast Guard station in Fort Pierce, Fla., on May 13, 2026. The vessel, owned by Brian Hooker and his missing wife Lynette Hooker, was reportedly brought back to the U.S. from The Bahamas by the Coast Guard. (Obtained by News Media)

“He’s telling five different stories, and none of them are consistent. So it’s as if he’s just making stuff up as he goes,” he added.

The U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Services concluded their four-day renewed search for Lynette Hooker’s body on Monday after GPS data from Brian Hooker’s phone obtained by authorities allegedly shows a discrepancy between what he first told law enforcement, sources familiar with the investigation told News Media. During their renewed search, the Coast Guard took possession of the dinghy.

Lynette Hooker disappeared after going overboard during a boat trip in the Bahamas, according to local officials. (Brian Hooker/Facebook)

That discrepancy prompted federal U.S. authorities to seek permission from Bahamian authorities to search a new area in the Sea of Abaco with 25-foot-deep waters, the sources added. Investigators are treating the case as a homicide, according to a U.S. official.

Brian Hooker’s Michigan-based attorney previously asked Americans to give him the benefit of the doubt in an interview with ABC News.

“I would ask those watching to treat him the way you would want to be treated, to give him the benefit of the doubt, and to consider that not all of us, nor you, considering your own relationships, the way you speak to one another, we all handle things in different ways,” Crystal Marie Hauser said.

News Media reached out to Hauser for comment.

Switch on cable news any evening, and you’ll notice that the top-rated prime time shows often feature not only network footage but also clips captured by a stylish 30-year-old White House aide using her iPhone.

Her workspace is strategically located just outside the Oval Office, and her camera is perpetually focused on President Donald Trump.

Introducing Margo Martin, a 30-year-old communications expert from Texas whose video snippets of the President have amassed billions of views and generated millions in earned media value. She might be one of the most economically efficient hires in government history.

“If you tally up every clip she’s posted on platforms like X and Instagram,” remarks Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, “it’s likely resulted in billions of views and millions in earned media for the president.”

These impressive figures aren’t the result of a production crew, a broadcasting contract, or a hefty advertising budget. Instead, they stem from one woman equipped with an iPhone and the unwavering confidence of Trump.

A Dallas native who later graduated from Texas Christian University before joining the first Trump administration in 2019 as a press aide, Martin, at the time, was a relative unknown – though she would not stay that way for long. 

Now she is officially a special assistant to the President and his communications advisor. Unofficially, she is what many have dubbed the first ‘White House Influencer.’

‘We didn’t have somebody like this in the first term,’ Alex Bruesewitz, who helped design Trump’s digital strategy during the 2024 campaign, told the Daily Mail. ‘The American people would only see what the news cameras would want to show.’

Margo Martin, special assistant to the President and communications advisor, pictured with Trump as he played golf in August of last year

Her iPhone-filmed content has been seen by millions if not billions, those close to her say

Martin worked in the first Trump administration before moving to Florida to work for the Republican. She later worked on his 2024 campaign before returning to the White House

Martin has been dubbed as the White House’s first ‘influencer’ for her social media savvy and ability to capture candid moments of the President that perform well online

Martin provides something entirely different – direct-to-consumer videos without an editorial filter or pre-screened chyron. 

‘She regularly captures candid moments that speak for themselves,’ said digital strategist Alex Lorusso, who first crossed paths with Martin in early 2023. ‘These posts constantly go viral for that reason.’ 

He added that her style of videos makes the audience feel as if they are ‘on the road’ with the President. 

Martin’s content ‘not only goes viral online,’ says Leavitt, ‘but it also helps us drive mainstream media narratives for the president.’ 

Her playbook has been so effective that every administration after Trump will likely be forced to employ her tactics. 

‘I like to say that Margo is the first-ever White House influencer, and she will likely pave the way for many similar roles in the future,’ Bruesewitz said. ‘I anticipate that a Margo type will be in every administration moving forward.’ 

Her clips are not only effective in getting out the White House’s message. They can be used to prop up the President’s preferred candidates in the upcoming midterms, too. 

‘Having some of those moments on camera will be great for potential television ads and messaging events. That content will play a big role in the midterms,’ Bruesewitz added. 

Leavitt told the Daily Mail that Martin is one of her most trusted friends. She called Martin a ‘vault’ that won’t blabber about Leavitt’s perosnal life to others. They also go one double dates and Martin is ‘wonderful’ with the press secretary’s children

Martin has been by the President’s side through thick and thin. She followed Trump to Florida after he left Washington in 2021 after the Capitol riot, hung by him during his myriad legal trials, traveled alongside him as he campaigned in 2024 and moved back to Washington after he regained control of the White House

Trump is known to ask ‘Where’s Margo’ when he senses a made-for-TV moment and wants his aide to snap a picture or film a video

Her videos – from Trump’s 2024 campaign to behind-the-scenes views of presidential trips and the Oval Office – are some of the most iconic visuals in recent political memory. 

From Trump’s campaign stop serving hamburgers and fries at a rural Pennsylvania McDonald’s, to his high-stakes foreign trips to China and Malaysia, Martin’s knack for finding flattering angles of the world’s most powerful man has paved the way for how the country and the world view the President. 

‘Where’s Margo?’ Trump is known to ask when he senses a viral moment is afoot. 

He regularly calls her into the Oval office, alongside official White House photographers, to capture content for guests ranging from world leaders to athletes, celebrities and everyday Americans. 

‘She has rewritten the rules to utilizing social media platforms to convey messaging,’ Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna said. ‘Her effectiveness is because she has the complete trust of everyone who works for the president.’

But Martin does not only have the trust of the President. 

‘She and I are like each other’s vault,’ Leavitt says of her friend Margo. ‘We know we can share anything with one another, and it won’t go further.’ 

Martin frequently films close-up interactions of Trump and his supporters, like the image above of the Republican meeting a young supporter

Martin is said to have also earned the trust of the President’s family after working with him for so many years. Above she is pictured with Eric and Lara Trump

That trust comes at a premium in the capital, where the age-old adage goes: ‘If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.’ 

Outside of being the ‘content queen of the White House,’ Martin is also a dear friend to many in Trump’s inner circle.

‘After our time in the first Trump White House, my first trip out of DC was to Palm Beach to visit Margo in her new role in President Trump’s personal office, because her loyalty never wavered,’ White House spokesman Davis Ingle, who worked alongside Martin during Trump’s first term, told the Daily Mail. 

‘No matter what is going on or how crazy things can get, Margo is someone President Trump can always count on, and so can the people lucky enough to call her a friend.’

‘She is wonderful with my children,’ Leavitt, a mother of two, said. ‘My husband adores her. We go on double dates with my husband.’

Martin has been in a years-long relationship with former professional lacrosse player Brock Sorensen, who was the second overall pick in the 2012 National Lacrosse League draft and is now an advisor to tech giant Palantir. 

The couple met in Palm Beach after Martin moved near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence following his first term, where she continued working for the Republican. 

Martin with her boyfriend of two years Brock Sorensen, a former professional lacrosse player

The glamorous couple have been photographed at many exclusive events 

The two met in Florida after Martin moved there after Trump’s first term ended

The couple just recently celebrated two years together in April with a video montage Martin posted on Instagram. 

Leavitt says she and her husband ‘love Brock,’ adding that she hopes an engagement ring could soon be in her friend’s future.  

Whether or not a ring is coming, the role Martin has carved out looks like a permanent template for future administrations.  

‘Those are the behind-the-scenes moments you’ll never hear about if you pick up the New York Times or the Washington Post,’ Leavitt says. 

‘She does a great service to the president, and to all of us, to show who Donald Trump really is as a boss, as a president, but most importantly, as a man.’

The first White House influencer surely won’t be the last. But there will only ever be one original, and that’s Margo Martin.  

Mounting pressure confronts President Trump as he faces demands to retract his contentious decision to appoint Bill Pulte as head of the intelligence community. This move has sparked concerns regarding the renewal of America’s warrantless surveillance capabilities.

An increasing number of Democrats have voiced their intention to block the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) — even temporarily — if Pulte remains as the acting director of national intelligence (DNI).

Republicans, sharing some of this discontent, caution that the program could be jeopardized amid the backlash surrounding Pulte’s appointment.

The timing is particularly critical, with the U.S. engaged in a conflict with Iran and the World Cup set to commence this week. The combination of Republican dissent in Congress and the tangible risks associated with letting the surveillance powers lapse may compel Trump to reconsider, according to a GOP strategist.

“The mounting pressure might force him to reconsider placing someone in a role that could not only strain relations with the Senate in the long term but also jeopardize our immediate ability to pass FISA,” the strategist remarked. “This is something that the White House, alongside most Senate Republicans and Democrats, deems essential.”

“Sometimes you need to be able to sacrifice one for the greater good and in this of all of those situations seems like one of the more reasonable times you could see that happening,” they added. 

But that’s far from certain. Trump has stood by unpopular allies through scandals and bipartisan criticism, particularly when the other choice is caving to Democratic pressure. 

On the other side of the fight, Democrats have teased they are willing to let the important spy powers go dark, arguing Pulte is more dangerous than letting the intelligence tool lapse. In his role as federal housing finance chief, they argue, Pulte has already abused databases and shown he cannot be trusted.

“It’s like putting a machine gun in the hands of a five year old boy – you’re just not gonna do it,” said Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.

“I’ve never met the man, but I’m worried, because I don’t think Donald Trump really cares about 702. It’s not driving the stock market, it’s not driving the pricing gas, it doesn’t relate to immigration or his family’s graft, so I don’t think he really cares about it. And as a consequence, he’s not likely to back down while Bill Pulte.”

A number of Republicans on Capitol Hill have also expressed concerns about Pulte’s qualifications to serve as intelligence director, as well as his track record as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, where he has sent criminal referrals to the Justice Department alleging mortgage fraud by Trump’s political rivals and critics. 

Senate Majority John Thune (R-N.D.) told reporters on Tuesday that the White House was “weighing seriously” a long-term nominee to replace Pulte. 

“We’re encouraging it, at least I am,” Thune said of replacing Pulte, who he suggested last week would create “a weaponized DNI.”

“I think that getting some certainty and closure on that issue about who that might be will certainly play an important role in unlocking the support that we need to get FISA done,” Thune said.

“But if the Democrats continue to try and link them, it’s going to be up to them and the White House to figure out how we proceed.”

Section 702 allows the government to spy on foreigners located abroad, a critical tool but one that sweeps up the communications of any Americans who speak with those being surveilled.

Trump has waffled some in his backing of Pulte, emphasizing last week that he would only serve in the position temporarily and that the administration was interviewing five candidates for the position. 

Still, he’s also said Pulte should take advantage of being in the role on a short-term basis, saying he should conduct firings and shrink the scope of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

In a statement to The Hill, the White House called Pulte “a great selection” and warned against using FISA to coerce Trump to drop Pulte’s appointment. 

“Holding FISA hostage puts America’s national security at risk and it is shameful that some Democrats are threatening to put partisan politics ahead of the safety of the American people,” said White House spokesman Davis Ingle. 

Even some of Congress’s biggest FISA boosters have said they may hold back their vote for Section 702 if Trump doesn’t yank Pulte.  

Himes, who has led several pushes to reauthorize Section 702, said he may withhold a vote even for a short-term extension if it allows Pulte to use the tool after the departure of DNI Tulsi Gabbard, who is slated to remain in office until June 30.

“If this is an extension that just maintains the status quo under Tulsi Gabbard, that’s one thing, but if this is an extension that extends meaningfully into a Bill Pulte term, no, I’m not voting for that,” Himes said.

Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who caucuses with Democrats, didn’t rule out a short-term extension, but also said he won’t renew FISA 702 with Pulte in power.

“I can’t vote for the FISA extension as long as he’s in that job, he’s totally unqualified, but his history is that he has no hesitation about using personal data against his sponsors’ political enemies, and it would be irresponsible to give him access to that kind of information, and I’m a huge supporter of FISA…You don’t give the keys to the car to a 13 year old,” he said.

“The best way to solve this is for the president to name a reasonably qualified and competent DNI, and then we can move forward.”

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) met with Trump at the White House on Tuesday to discuss extending the spy powers, and also told GOP colleagues to keep their schedules flexible for the weekend in case they must take up a FISA bill.

But Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, expressed doubts about the ability to move any legislation.

“It’s not a problem created by my Senate Republican friends. It was created by the administration with a live hand grenade 10 days before the reauthorization of one of our most critical intel tools, so I think reasonable people are trying to sort this out, but the clock is ticking,” he said.

Emily Brooks and Alexander Bolton contributed.

In anticipation of the FIFA World Cup, a prominent West Coast city is implementing a contentious surveillance system following what authorities have labeled a credible security threat to the event.

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has justified this decision, announcing over the weekend that several closed-circuit television cameras will be activated in the city’s Stadium District, as reported by Kumon News.

This action represents a notable turnaround for Wilson, who had previously been hesitant to use the cameras due to concerns over privacy and the potential misuse of the data collected by the government.

Seattle is among the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to host six matches from mid-June to early July.

Wilson explained to reporters after a local event that her decision was influenced by a recent security briefing provided by law enforcement agencies.

“In the last week and a half, I received a briefing from our law enforcement partners that told me there have been credible threats,” Wilson explained. “And so therefore, in line with the announcement I made earlier this year, we decided to turn those cameras on for the duration of the games. After the World Cup we will turn them off.”

The camera system includes 22 devices positioned around Seattle’s Stadium District, which encompasses areas near Pioneer Square and SODO.

The cameras will feed live footage into the Seattle Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center, which already receives video from a larger network of public and private cameras across the city.

Police officials have long argued that the technology helps investigators respond to incidents and solve serious crimes, including homicide cases.

Wilson had previously maintained that the stadium-area cameras would remain inactive unless authorities identified a legitimate security concern. Her earlier objections focused on fears that video data could potentially be accessed by federal agencies and used in immigration investigations or abortion-related inquiries involving people traveling from other states.

The mayor announced the policy reversal in a statement released June 5, only days after indicating that her position on the cameras had not changed.

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When pressed by reporters about the nature of the threat, Wilson declined to provide specifics but said the information presented by law enforcement convinced her action was necessary.

“This is a pretty standard law enforcement terminology, so if we have information that someone intends to cause harm to people or property or a large event, right, and we believe that they have the means to carry that threat out,” said Wilson. “So I hope… for obvious reasons I’m not going to be giving details, but I was given a briefing that convinced me there is enough of a credible threat.”

Officials say the cameras will be deactivated after the tournament while the city completes a broader review of the surveillance system’s future.

Unlike Seattle, where officials reversed course and activated previously dormant CCTV cameras after being briefed on a ‘credible threat,’ Los Angeles has focused on expanded federal security operations, drone restrictions and surveillance technology as part of what authorities describe as an unprecedented World Cup security effort.