Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Bill Clinton 'wouldn't be surprised' if aliens visited - he just hopes it won't be like Independence Day

Former US president admitted he even had his aides look for signs of extraterrestrial life when he entered office

Heather Saul
Thursday 03 April 2014 15:06 BST
Comments
Bill Clinton has defended Barack Obama's response to the crisis
Bill Clinton has defended Barack Obama's response to the crisis

Bill Clinton has admitted “he wouldn't be surprised” if aliens visited Earth - he just hopes their appearance would not play out as violently as the invasion in the film Independence Day.

The former president of the United States found himself discussing the possibility of extraterrestrial life when he appeared on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday evening.

Clinton said that shortly after becoming president in 1993 he had the infamous Nevada military facility Area 51 investigated “to make sure there was no alien down there”.

He also had papers concerning a reported UFO sighting in Roswell reviewed in time for the 50th anniversary, but did not find any signs of alien life.

Clinton even promised host Kimmel that if he had seen signs of extraterrestrial life, he would tell him.

“We know from our fancy telescopes that just in the last two years more than 20 planets have been identified outside our solar system that seem to be far enough from their suns and dense enough that they might be able to support to some form of life, so it makes it increasingly less like that we’re alone,” Clinton said.

“It may be the only way to unite this increasingly divided world of ours … think about all the differences among people of Earth would seem small if we feel threatened by a space invader,” he added.

“That’s the whole theory of Independence Day. Everybody gets together and makes nice.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in