Person
David Grusch
Also known as Grusch, Dave Grusch
- Former intelligence official (NRO; NGA co-lead for UAP analysis, GS-15, 2021–2023); UAPTF representative
- Former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer (Major)
David Grusch is a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer and Afghanistan combat veteran whose 2023 testimony made the crash-retrieval allegation a matter of congressional record. He served 14 years as an intelligence officer, seven active and seven in the reserve, reaching the rank of Major. In his reserve role he sat on the National Reconnaissance Office director's briefing staff, which coordinated the President's Daily Brief, and represented the NRO on the UAP Task Force from 2019 to 2021. From 2021 to 2023 he was a GS-15 at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, where he co-led the agency's UAP analysis.
He says that on the task force he was asked to find every classified program relevant to UAP, and that this led him to a multi-decade crash-retrieval and reverse-engineering program to which he was denied access. With colleagues he says he interviewed about 40 witnesses over four years, briefed in part by Eric Davis at Jay Stratton's request. In May 2022 he filed a whistleblower complaint with the Intelligence Community Inspector General, which he says was found "credible and urgent". He went public in June 2023 through The Debrief and NewsNation, and on July 26, 2023 testified under oath that the U.S. holds craft of non-human origin and "biologics", while saying he had not seen them himself. He named the 1933 Magenta, Italy, retrieval as the earliest case he was cleared to discuss, and says the information helped shape the Schumer–Rounds UAP Disclosure Act.
He says he suffered reprisals for coming forward, from questions about his mental health to an Air Force request for an Espionage Act investigation. Members of Congress briefed by the inspectors general and AARO say they could not substantiate his claims. AARO's 2024 historical report calls the reverse-engineering narrative inaccurate and the product of circular reporting, and Sean Kirkpatrick disputes it. Grusch maintains the evidence was given to the Inspector General and the intelligence committees in classified form. In 2026 he spoke at a Capitol Hill press conference calling for declassification and worked for a time in Rep. Eric Burlison's office.
Sources: written statement and testimony, July 26, 2023 hearing · November 13, 2024 hearing (transcript) · Joe Rogan Experience #2065 · Capitol Hill press conference (June 2026) · AARO historical report (2024) · Wikipedia
Facts and claims
- claimed In his written statement to Congress he said he was an intelligence officer for 14 years, in the Air Force at the rank of Major and from 2021 to 2023 at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency at GS-15, where he was his agency's co-lead for UAP and trans-medium object analysis, reporting to the UAP Task Force and later AARO. — David Grusch Source: David Grusch — written opening statement, House Oversight hearing (July 26, 2023)
- claimed Represented the National Reconnaissance Office on the UAP Task Force from 2019 to 2021, in his Air Force reserve role on the NRO director's briefing staff, which coordinated the President's Daily Brief. In 2019 the task force director asked him to identify every special and controlled access program the task force needed. — David Grusch Source: House holds hearing on UFOs, government transparency | full video at 31:12
- claimed In May 2022 he filed a PPD-19 urgent-concern complaint with the Intelligence Community Inspector General. He says the ICIG found it “credible and urgent” in July 2022 and passed it to the DNI and the congressional intelligence committees, and that he then gave about 11–12 hours of classified testimony. — David Grusch Source: Joe Rogan Experience #2065 - David Grusch at 15:09
- claimed Testified under oath that he “was informed in the course of my official duties of a multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse engineering program to which I was denied access”, and that the U.S. government “absolutely” possesses UAP, “based on interviewing over 40 witnesses over 4 years”. — David Grusch Source: Hearing transcript: UAP — Implications on National Security, Public Safety, and Government Transparency (House Oversight, July 26, 2023)
- claimed Asked under oath whether the government has the bodies of the pilots of crashed craft, he said “biologics came with some of these recoveries”, and that they were “Nonhuman, and that was the assessment of people with direct knowledge on the program I talked to”. Asked separately by Rep. Burlison whether he had seen the bodies himself: “That is something I have not witnessed myself.” — David Grusch Source: House holds hearing on UFOs, government transparency | full video at 1:49:13
- claimed Asked whether AARO director Sean Kirkpatrick's statement that there was no credible evidence was accurate, he testified: “It is not accurate”, adding that some of the roughly 30 people who had gone to AARO were also people he had interviewed. — David Grusch Source: House holds hearing on UFOs, government transparency | full video at 1:11:52
- claimed He says Jay Stratton introduced him to Eric Davis, who briefed him and his NRO boss for two and a half days just before COVID; Davis says that material formed part of Grusch's classified Inspector General complaint. — Eric Davis Source: Understanding UAP: Science, National Security & Innovation (House Oversight and Government Reform) at 1:02:29
- claimed He describes reprisals after his complaint: agencies questioned his mental health over PTSD he had already reported, he was investigated without being interviewed, and twice someone made it clear to him and his wife “they can touch me at any time”. Eric Davis says a PTSD episode from his medical file was illegally leaked. — David Grusch Source: Joe Rogan Experience #2065 - David Grusch at 1:06:45
- claimed At a Capitol Hill press conference in June 2026 he said his federal litigation had revealed that the Air Force sought an investigation of him under the Espionage Act after his 2023 testimony, that he was still not in retired status, and that his investigation found “slush funds to the tune of billions of dollars per annum”. He presented no documents. — David Grusch Source: FULL PRESSER: David Grusch & Lawmakers Call for UAP Records Declassification on Capitol Hill (9 June 2026) at 22:47
- claimed Rep. Eric Burlison said in October 2026 that Grusch was working in his office for a short period and would leave in the next few months, and that his security clearance had still not been restored, which Burlison says deters other whistleblowers. — Eric Burlison Source: Rep. Eric Burlison on the Dr. Phil Podcast: "A Congressman Was Briefed on a Secret Test to Lure UFOs" (15 October 2026) at 43:44
- claimed On a podcast published on 26 October 2026, Burlison said Grusch “was on my team for 18 months” and “left our office in September because he had other opportunities that required him to leave his post with us”; his office is still trying to verify Grusch's claims. (In the Dr. Phil interview aired on 15 October, he had said Grusch would leave in the next few months.) — Eric Burlison Source: Burlison: his office is “still on the trail” of the alien footage Grusch described, after Grusch left his staff in September
- documented Opening the November 2024 hearing, Rep. Glenn Grothman said that agencies briefing the committee, including the DoD and IC inspectors general and AARO, had not been able to substantiate the claims Grusch made in 2023, despite members questioning them inside and outside the SCIF. — Glenn Grothman Source: Hearing transcript: “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth”
- documented AARO's 2024 historical report found “no empirical evidence” for claims that the U.S. government and private companies have been reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology, and attributes the modern claim largely to “circular reporting from a group of individuals who believe this to be the case”, many tied to the cancelled AAWSAP/AATIP program and KONA BLUE. It does not name Grusch. Source: AARO Historical Record Report, Volume 1
Connected files
Books
- Skinwalkers at the Pentagon: An Insiders' Account of the Secret Government UFO Program (statement about)
Claims
- A craft of non-human origin came down near Magenta, Italy, in 1933, and Mussolini's government recovered it (asserts)
- Programs dealing with UAP have been hidden from congressional oversight (comments on claim)
- The U.S. has recovered the bodies of non-human beings from crashed craft (comments on claim)
- The U.S. holds recovered craft of non-human origin and runs a secret program to reverse-engineer them (asserts)
- UAP show a recurring interest in nuclear weapons sites, at times interfering with the weapons (asserts)
Concepts
- Non-human intelligence (uses the term) — Grusch told Congress he prefers “nonhuman” because it does not denote origin
- Crash retrieval & reverse engineering (alleges) — His 2023 testimony made the crash-retrieval allegation a matter of congressional record; AARO calls it inaccurate
Documents
- David Grusch — written opening statement, House Oversight hearing (July 26, 2023) (authored)
- Hearing transcript: UAP — Implications on National Security, Public Safety, and Government Transparency (House Oversight, July 26, 2023) (statement about)
Events
- Capitol Hill UAP declassification press conference (speaker at)
- David Grusch files his whistleblower complaint with the ICIG (filed)
Incidents
- Magenta crash (alleged, 1933) (claims)
News
Organizations
- Department of Energy (statement about)
- Intelligence Community Inspector General (complained to)
- National Air and Space Intelligence Center (statement about)
- Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (statement about)
- National Reconnaissance Office (worked at)
People
- Anna Paulina Luna (works with) — She says Grusch works with her task force on leads about contractors
- Chuck Schumer (statement about)
- Jay Stratton (introduced by) — Stratton introduced Grusch to Eric Davis, who then briefed him
- Eric Davis (briefed by) — Davis briefed Grusch and his NRO boss for two and a half days; Davis says it fed Grusch's IG complaint
- Sean Kirkpatrick (disputes) — Grusch testified that Kirkpatrick's “no credible evidence” statement “is not accurate”
- Glenn Grothman (statements by)
- Eric Burlison (employed by) — He questioned Grusch at the 2023 hearing and employed him in his office in 2026
- Garry Nolan (statement about)
- Harry Reid (briefed) — Grusch says he briefed Reid in 2021 and was told the U.S. held material Reid had been denied access to
- James Lacatski (statement about)
- Karl Nell (cited in) — He counts Grusch's testimony among his evidence
- Leslie Kean (reported by)
- Matt Gaetz (questioned by) — He drew from Grusch that nothing is classified “above top secret” and called for a classified session with him
- Michael Shellenberger (claims checked by) — He set out to verify Grusch's claims after the 2023 testimony
- Nancy Mace (questioned by) — Her questions drew Grusch's answer that “biologics came with some of these recoveries”
- Ross Coulthart (interviewed by)
- Tim Burchett (questioned by) — He asked Grusch under oath where recovered material is held
Hearings & briefings
Programs
- Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (worked at) — He dates his membership to 2019–2021; the task force itself was approved in August 2020, so his 2019 work belongs to the effort that preceded it
- Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (claims about) — He alleges AAWSAP's real purpose was to receive recovered material from Lockheed, a transfer the CIA killed
- All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (disputed by) — AARO's 2024 report calls the reverse-engineering narrative inaccurate and the product of circular reporting
- Legacy program (statement about)
Videos
- House holds hearing on UFOs, government transparency | full video (discussed in)
- Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth (discussed in)
- The Sol Forum #1: Hal Puthoff, Jacques Vallée and Larry Lemke (discussed in)
- Christopher Mellon on UFOs, secrecy and what the public still doesn't know (The Chris Cuomo Project, 2025) (discussed in)
- Understanding UAP: Science, National Security & Innovation (House Oversight and Government Reform) (discussed in)
- Christopher Mellon, “We Are Not Alone”: a reflection on UAP (Disclosure Foundation, 2025) (discussed in)
- FULL PRESSER: David Grusch & Lawmakers Call for UAP Records Declassification on Capitol Hill (9 June 2026) (appears in)
- David Grusch on the Dr. Phil Podcast: craft, cadavers and the retrieval program (August 2026) (appears in)
- Rep. Eric Burlison on the Dr. Phil Podcast: "A Congressman Was Briefed on a Secret Test to Lure UFOs" (15 October 2026) (discussed in)
- Rep. Eric Burlison on UAP disclosure, government secrecy and David Grusch (Rebelliously Curious, October 2026) (subject of)
- What Trump’s Files Are About To Expose About UAPs & Nonhuman Observers — Luis Elizondo Warns Us (discussed in)
- “A Top Government Official Told Me Aliens Run Everything!” -Dylan Borland UNLEASHED (discussed in)
- NASA Doctor: “I Saw This UFO In A Secret Hangar!” (Ft. Greg Rogers) (discussed in)
- The Biblical Truth of UFOs & Angels (Ft. Karl Nell & Diana Pasulka) (discussed in)
- US fighter pilots witness UFO: Ryan Graves (American Alchemy, 2024) (discussed in)
- Breaking UFO Story: ‘Immaculate Constellation’ UFO Program (Ft. Michael Shellenberger) (discussed in)
- Joe Rogan Experience #2365 - Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (discussed in)
- Joe Rogan Experience #2065 - David Grusch (appears in)
- Joe Rogan Experience #2314: Hal Puthoff (discussed in)
- The Program: official trailer (appears in)
Mentioned in videos
- House holds hearing on UFOs, government transparency | full video
- Inside the DIA's Secretive UFO Investigation: Lacatski and Kelleher on WEAPONIZED #38 (October 2023)
- Christopher Mellon on UFOs, secrecy and what the public still doesn't know (The Chris Cuomo Project, 2025)
- Restoring Public Trust Through UAP Transparency and Whistleblower Protection
- “The Government UFO Boss”: James Lacatski, part 2, on New Insights (WEAPONIZED, November 2025)
- FULL PRESSER: David Grusch & Lawmakers Call for UAP Records Declassification on Capitol Hill (9 June 2026)
- Rep. Eric Burlison on the Dr. Phil Podcast: "A Congressman Was Briefed on a Secret Test to Lure UFOs" (15 October 2026)
- Jay Stratton's first on-camera interview, recorded 2022 (WEAPONIZED, released October 2026)
- Rep. Eric Burlison on UAP disclosure, government secrecy and David Grusch (Rebelliously Curious, October 2026)
- “A Top Government Official Told Me Aliens Run Everything!” -Dylan Borland UNLEASHED
- Eric Davis: “A US President Was Briefed on UFOs!”
- NASA Doctor: “I Saw This UFO In A Secret Hangar!” (Ft. Greg Rogers)
- "I Retrieved a UFO With My Helicopter!" -Jake Barber
- US fighter pilots witness UFO: Ryan Graves (American Alchemy, 2024)
- Meet the DARPA scientist abducted by an alien: Lt. Col. John Blitch (American Alchemy, 2025)
Mentioned in documents and records
- In Plain Sight: An Investigation into UFOs and Impossible Science
- Unacknowledged Special Access Program
- AARO Historical Record Report, Volume 1
- Hearing transcript: Restoring Public Trust Through UAP Transparency and Whistleblower Protection (Sept 9, 2025)
- The New York Times reveals the Pentagon UFO program
- Restoring Public Trust Through UAP Transparency and Whistleblower Protection
- House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- Oversight Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs