Rep. Eric Burlison — NewsNation Reality Check interview (2026)
Source: NewsNation, Reality Check, “Why Rep. Eric Burlison Believes Key UAP Evidence Remains Hidden,” one-on-one with Joe Khalil. Published: 2026-06-05. Duration: 16:15. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKFJlw5h5Wg Extraction: youtube_transcript.py (timestamps; >> marks a turn — Khalil vs. Burlison inferred from context), captured 2026-06-05. Verbatim auto-transcript. Key content: “low-hanging fruit” so far; FFRDC document strategy (MIT Lincoln Labs, RAND, MITRE, Aerospace Corp in a SCIF); glowing-orb / plasma-ball footage he’s seen (~06:50); the “egg-shaped craft… in our possession” he wants to enter (~13:57); the secrecy-as-hidden-weakness thesis (~12:00); his Christian framing / the Tennessee pastors call (~08:30). Analysis: burlison-uap-oversight.
[00:00:07.359] We sat down with Congressman Eric [00:00:09.040] Berles. He’s really been on the front [00:00:10.639] lines of this UAP issue here in [00:00:13.679] Congress. And we asked him about a whole [00:00:15.440] range of things about some videos that [00:00:18.160] he has seen recently of the phenomenon [00:00:20.800] that he wants the public to see and is [00:00:23.279] pushing for that to be released. We also [00:00:25.840] talked to him about certain people that [00:00:27.760] he has gotten into classified settings [00:00:29.519] and had conversations with them about [00:00:32.160] the topic and he to the extent he could [00:00:35.440] uh briefed us on that. And lastly, we [00:00:37.760] talked about questions of religion and [00:00:40.399] morality when it comes to disclosure. [00:00:43.680] Tricky topics. Here’s our full [00:00:45.760] discussion. [00:00:46.480] >> Uh so there’s been a lot happening on [00:00:48.399] the disclosure front. Uh not as much as [00:00:51.600] you’d like to be happening though. you [00:00:53.120] put out a message on social media [00:00:54.719] talking about some roadblocks that [00:00:56.480] you’ve been hitting. And I was wondering [00:00:57.840] if you could just start by elaborating [00:01:00.320] on what you’re facing, what you’re [00:01:02.480] trying to get, why so far you haven’t [00:01:04.479] been able to get access. I think that, [00:01:06.479] you know, and I was very grateful that [00:01:08.080] the president issued the the [00:01:11.200] truth, if you will, and I’ve seen some [00:01:13.280] momentum happen within the intelligence [00:01:15.920] agency, within ODNI. There seems to be a [00:01:19.040] new level of of momentum and energy put [00:01:21.439] around this. I would say it went from [00:01:23.360] being a low ranking item to one of the [00:01:25.600] top top priorities which is fantastic. [00:01:28.960] Um the I think that the things that have [00:01:31.920] been released so far are the lowhanging [00:01:33.920] fruit. These are things that a lot of [00:01:35.920] them have already been like leaked to [00:01:37.439] the public before. [00:01:38.960] >> Um many of them are videos that there’s [00:01:41.759] been a lot of chatter about but have [00:01:43.759] been already disproven as prosaic [00:01:46.799] whether it’s like a balloon or a bird or [00:01:48.880] a flock of birds. Yeah. [00:01:50.479] >> Um, but at the end of the day, it’s that [00:01:52.399] I think it’s a good start. I think that [00:01:54.880] this administration understands that [00:01:57.200] they need to go further. They need to [00:01:58.880] really dig. And in order to do that, it [00:02:01.040] you’re going to have to take the [00:02:01.840] investigation to the next step, which is [00:02:04.479] uh bringing people in u under oath. [00:02:08.160] you’re, you know, people that that have [00:02:10.319] knowledge or claim to have knowledge, [00:02:12.640] find out exactly what they know and and [00:02:15.360] and um what where the where the craft [00:02:18.720] are, where the bodies are, if you will. [00:02:20.959] >> Um and then and get that information. [00:02:23.599] And the other thing that you’re going to [00:02:24.720] have to do is go to the privates because [00:02:26.560] I think a lot of this has been in the [00:02:29.520] hands of the whether it’s the private [00:02:32.480] businesses or the federally funded [00:02:34.160] research development centers that are [00:02:35.599] kind of working in a quasi public [00:02:37.599] private fashion. [00:02:38.959] >> Yeah. [00:02:39.519] >> Um and so that’s where my investigation [00:02:42.319] that’s where my team and all of our work [00:02:43.920] effort is going is focusing on trying to [00:02:46.800] get the the information out of the hands [00:02:49.200] of those privates. So let’s talk about [00:02:50.800] that because that’s a totally different [00:02:52.560] challenge, right? This is not something [00:02:54.400] that as a member of Congress you can go [00:02:56.480] and say, “Hey, I’m an elected official. [00:02:58.879] Let me in like you can for many federal [00:03:02.000] buildings and and programs, right?” Um [00:03:04.560] this is not something you can foyer, [00:03:06.159] Freedom of Information Act. So how do [00:03:09.200] you try to get private entities to [00:03:12.080] cooperate with you on this kind of [00:03:13.440] investigation? So we’ve sent well we we [00:03:15.840] first we’ve got people on the inside [00:03:17.760] that have given us information about [00:03:19.680] particular documents video files or [00:03:21.760] other that we that that they say exists [00:03:25.440] >> in these um whether it’s MIT Lincoln [00:03:29.040] Labs Rand MITER um you name it we’re [00:03:33.040] we’re go we’re going after it if they [00:03:35.360] but we we follow up on people giving us [00:03:38.159] information. So hopefully somebody’s [00:03:40.480] watching this who works in one of these [00:03:42.799] private companies um or fedally funded [00:03:45.360] research development centers and and [00:03:47.200] saying, “Aha, I know who to reach out to [00:03:49.280] to to let him know about about more [00:03:51.519] files.” But that’s we follow those [00:03:53.280] leads. We send letters that are very [00:03:56.000] specific that are nearly impossible for [00:03:59.040] them to get out of and um and request [00:04:01.920] it. And so far, they’ve been very [00:04:03.360] cooperative. So, we’ve had um aerospace [00:04:06.319] corporation executives come to talk to [00:04:08.400] us in a skiff. We’ve had um we we’ve had [00:04:11.840] Lincoln Labs, MIT Lincoln Labs respond [00:04:15.840] um already. There’s probably more that [00:04:17.919] they’re going to that that there’s more [00:04:19.680] to go with that. And so, yeah, and we’ve [00:04:22.560] got a letter back from MITER that they [00:04:24.400] that they will their legal team said [00:04:26.000] that they will be working to respond to [00:04:27.680] it. [00:04:27.919] >> Wow. So, do you have better luck with [00:04:30.240] individuals than with the company? I [00:04:31.919] mean, MITER seems to be somewhat [00:04:33.440] cooperating, but when you get those [00:04:35.280] individuals, you’re having more luck in [00:04:37.520] terms of getting information from them. [00:04:39.360] >> Well, the people that are coming to us [00:04:40.639] behind the scenes, absolutely. They’re [00:04:42.080] they’re getting us information, and it [00:04:44.000] turns out the one when it came to MIT [00:04:45.680] Lincoln Labs was was spot on. They’re [00:04:48.240] they do have a video file that um we’re [00:04:50.880] going to try to get access to. So, um, [00:04:53.759] without [00:04:55.360] breaking the law essentially and and [00:04:57.600] revealing what you learned in a skiff, [00:04:59.840] um, can you just characterize what are [00:05:02.320] what are the categories of things that [00:05:04.639] you’re seeking when you get into a skiff [00:05:06.479] with somebody who’s working for one of [00:05:08.240] these companies? Um, and and what what [00:05:11.120] can they give you? What kinds of things? [00:05:13.199] >> Yeah. The really I want to know the nuts [00:05:16.560] and bolts. I’m at a place where I’m [00:05:19.039] We’ve heard a lot of really outrageous [00:05:21.680] stories and testimonies from people. Um, [00:05:25.600] but I want to see the receipts. I really [00:05:27.440] am am trying to track down the materials [00:05:31.039] and and anything that’s physical or or [00:05:35.199] photographic or video evidence that is [00:05:38.000] that we can um that we can get our hands [00:05:40.000] on. [00:05:40.479] >> Okay. I want to go back to the White [00:05:41.919] House for a minute. there was this [00:05:45.039] release of videos and files and I think [00:05:48.000] for people who were not super familiar [00:05:50.400] with the topic uh that was maybe the [00:05:53.039] first time that they’ seen in depth um [00:05:56.000] anything you know on the phenomenon for [00:05:58.320] us who’ve been sort of in this world now [00:06:00.240] for a couple years um I think your point [00:06:03.199] is right it wasn’t exactly [00:06:04.479] groundbreaking stuff some of it we [00:06:06.160] already knew some of it was public um do [00:06:09.680] you think we’re close to the White House [00:06:13.039] releasing videos, pictures, more [00:06:16.240] documents that would be more [00:06:18.800] groundbreaking that sort of holy blank [00:06:21.759] moment where it is an undeniable thing [00:06:24.880] that this phenomenon is uh real and that [00:06:28.400] you know [00:06:29.440] >> decades and decades worth of knowledge [00:06:31.120] has been known about it that hasn’t been [00:06:32.880] public. [00:06:33.680] >> So I don’t know is the answer. Um, I [00:06:36.639] have seen video footage and photos of [00:06:39.440] things that I think would take it to the [00:06:42.240] next level, but it’s not definitive. So, [00:06:45.039] and I’ll and I’ll just describe them. Mo [00:06:47.120] most of what has not been released [00:06:49.360] >> that to me is is the really mysterious [00:06:51.600] thing are the glowing orbs like these [00:06:53.759] pla balls of plasma that seem to move in [00:06:56.160] an intelligent way. In some cases, [00:06:58.639] they’re static. They won’t. They just [00:07:00.639] hover without any noticeable signs of [00:07:04.080] aerodynamics or like propellers. They [00:07:06.639] just sit still and in some cases they [00:07:09.039] can like immediately accelerate. And I [00:07:11.440] think that so I’ve seen the video [00:07:13.280] footage of that and I hope that I’m [00:07:16.560] confident that that will be released and [00:07:19.039] if it’s not I will be I will be throwing [00:07:21.280] a fit um about it. [00:07:23.759] >> But that that will be kind of that will [00:07:25.840] be eye opening for some people. But it’s [00:07:27.599] not definitive. When I see those videos, [00:07:29.599] I can’t tell you this is this is clearly [00:07:33.520] from another planet. [00:07:35.599] >> Right. We don’t know what it is, but [00:07:36.960] >> but we know it’s something that we’ve [00:07:38.240] never seen. [00:07:38.960] >> Yeah. [00:07:39.360] >> Before. [00:07:39.840] >> So, is that the Pentagon’s call right [00:07:41.520] now? Who is the door right now that is [00:07:43.599] is is keeping it closed? Who’s at that [00:07:45.919] door? [00:07:47.280] >> I you know, that would probably fall [00:07:49.280] under OD and I under under their [00:07:51.759] direction of whether or not they’re [00:07:52.960] ready to release those. And why in your [00:07:55.680] estimation have they not released stuff [00:07:57.759] like that that again you as a member of [00:07:59.759] Congress have [00:08:00.800] >> said guys this is a game changer. [00:08:02.319] >> I think I’m only speculating but I think [00:08:04.800] because if you saw these videos you [00:08:07.280] would know you people could probably [00:08:08.879] pick pick determine the location. [00:08:11.520] >> Okay. [00:08:12.160] >> And some of these are in residential [00:08:14.720] communities and you would see I I would [00:08:17.440] I would hate to have like my my [00:08:19.840] neighborhood blown up by people who are [00:08:21.919] coming in to Skywatch. Okay, [00:08:23.680] understandable. I imagine there could be [00:08:25.680] ways to maybe get around that stuff and [00:08:27.440] maybe that’s an ongoing discussion. [00:08:29.759] >> Um, I did want to talk about life [00:08:33.599] imitating art for a minute and we have [00:08:36.080] this big movie coming up, Stephen [00:08:38.320] Spielberg on disclosure. [00:08:40.240] >> Yeah. Um the movie I think focuses in [00:08:43.760] some part on the government trying to [00:08:47.839] prepare people for right [00:08:50.080] >> a revelation like this and what are what [00:08:52.000] are the effects what are the the impacts [00:08:54.399] on just the public knowing this stuff [00:08:56.880] >> right [00:08:57.279] >> um I’m wondering [00:08:58.800] >> are those conversations real are they [00:09:01.680] happening are have you been in [00:09:04.080] discussion with people about what is the [00:09:06.959] what is the impact on the public if we [00:09:09.519] release [00:09:10.480] information like that, [00:09:11.200] >> you know, ironically, yes. Um, I was, in [00:09:13.600] fact, it was a big blow up on the [00:09:14.959] internet on Twitter [00:09:16.560] >> that I called into a conference of [00:09:18.800] pastors that were meeting in Tennessee. [00:09:21.200] >> I I’d been invited to that event. I [00:09:23.519] couldn’t come. Um, but I but I said, you [00:09:26.959] know, I’m happy to call in. I wasn’t I [00:09:29.360] didn’t participate in the conversation. [00:09:31.760] Um, but but the reason I was calling in [00:09:34.160] is to say, look, at the end of the day, [00:09:36.560] I’m a believer. I’m a Christian. and [00:09:39.600] everything that I the the longer I’ve [00:09:41.440] been studying this, the more it actually [00:09:43.600] it doesn’t shake my faith. If anything, [00:09:45.360] it underscores my faith. [00:09:47.440] >> And and I and I just want people to kind [00:09:49.680] of uh I said I challenge those pastors [00:09:53.760] >> to [00:09:54.880] >> stick to what the Bible really says and [00:09:57.440] not what the Bible what you think the [00:09:59.120] Bible says. [00:09:59.839] >> Yeah. [00:10:00.399] >> So, for example, the Bible does not say [00:10:02.800] that Satan um has goat legs, a horn, you [00:10:07.600] know, and a pitchfork. [00:10:09.200] >> Yeah, [00:10:09.600] >> it it you know, there’s other [00:10:11.360] descriptions, but but just stick to the [00:10:14.160] factual information and don’t go with [00:10:16.320] what the medieval worldview is. [00:10:18.560] >> And I think that we’ll probably even if [00:10:20.720] there’s never aliens that arrive and [00:10:23.920] never a point of disclosure that that [00:10:26.560] will probably make all of us better [00:10:28.000] better Christians and better believers. [00:10:30.320] And so that that was my that was my [00:10:32.880] conversation and I think that the so yes [00:10:35.839] to your point there are communities that [00:10:38.640] are that are that are understanding that [00:10:41.839] they need to be prepared for this if [00:10:44.000] there’s you know more revelation to come [00:10:46.000] forward. [00:10:46.480] >> Yeah. [00:10:47.120] >> Um have you been in touch with the [00:10:49.040] filmmakers by chance? [00:10:50.800] >> I have not. No. [00:10:52.000] >> So I know the age of disclosure [00:10:53.760] documentary they they were um you know [00:10:57.279] certainly in touch with a lot of members [00:10:58.560] of Congress. So I [00:10:59.680] >> Yeah. And I kind of came in later. So I [00:11:02.880] I came they I think they filmed that [00:11:04.880] before I got into Congress. [00:11:06.959] >> Um obviously I’ve I got in and quickly [00:11:10.240] hit the hit the ground running on this [00:11:11.839] topic, but I’m not in that movie, [00:11:14.480] >> but I have been in a lot of [00:11:16.079] conversations with Dan Farah. He I think [00:11:18.000] he he produced a great movie and and I [00:11:20.480] am excited to see the Stephen Spielberg [00:11:22.240] movie coming coming out. And I I [00:11:24.240] understand that he he sees it. I saw an [00:11:27.200] interview where he almost said that [00:11:28.640] while it’s a movie, it’s a fictional [00:11:30.160] story to him it’s it’s based on as much [00:11:33.200] non-fiction as possible. [00:11:34.480] >> Yeah. Yeah. Saw that too. Very [00:11:36.000] interesting. You know, just one more [00:11:37.920] question before we go. Um there is this [00:11:41.600] sort of morality question that you [00:11:43.440] touched on a lot here in your previous [00:11:45.120] answer. Um, I just wonder what you make [00:11:48.079] big picture of the idea that there are [00:11:52.000] things that are in our airspace. Um, [00:11:55.519] can’t definitively say what they are, [00:11:57.200] but we can definitively say we don’t [00:11:59.200] know how they operate. Our laws of [00:12:01.519] physics don’t seem to apply. And one [00:12:04.079] reason the government has for years held [00:12:07.200] on to that information is because of [00:12:09.360] fear of how people would react to that. [00:12:12.079] Whether it’s religious communities or or [00:12:14.959] other, you know, maybe it’s a shaking [00:12:18.240] shaking people’s faith in the idea that [00:12:20.240] the US government can protect them, [00:12:22.079] >> right, [00:12:22.560] >> from certain threats. What do you make [00:12:25.040] of the the just the government even [00:12:27.200] weighing that at all as a reason not to [00:12:29.279] disclose? I think that they weigh that, [00:12:31.519] but I think that it’s actually the [00:12:33.279] opposite. I what the more that I’ve [00:12:35.200] looked into this, the more I think that [00:12:37.760] the that this government does not want [00:12:39.920] to reveal the the fact that they have a [00:12:44.240] weakness. They don’t want to demonstrate [00:12:46.880] that they that they don’t know what’s [00:12:48.800] going on. [00:12:49.279] >> And sorry, when you say this government, [00:12:50.720] we’re obviously not just talking about [00:12:52.320] the Trump administration, but several [00:12:54.480] administrations going back decades, [00:12:56.240] >> right? Like you don’t want to telegraph [00:12:58.000] to its own citizens that we’re incapable [00:13:01.600] of defending our airspace above our own [00:13:03.680] military bases. [00:13:05.120] >> That we’re incapable. We do not have the [00:13:07.200] scientific knowledge or understanding of [00:13:08.720] what it is that we’re experiencing and [00:13:10.399] what we’re seeing. [00:13:11.760] >> Because you could be giving up the bag [00:13:14.399] to you be, you know, giving it up to [00:13:16.320] your adversaries if this is what your [00:13:17.920] adversaries are doing that you don’t [00:13:20.000] know what’s happening. or you’re giving [00:13:22.560] it up to your own citizens that we’re [00:13:24.720] that we aren’t as strong as you think we [00:13:26.720] are. And I think that that’s that is the [00:13:29.120] motivation probably more so than [00:13:30.560] anything why this has not been [00:13:32.480] disclosed. [00:13:33.279] >> Okay. And you talked about the video [00:13:34.800] that you’re pursuing right now, the [00:13:36.079] orbs. If there is one thing, one [00:13:40.240] question you could have answered, one [00:13:42.800] piece of information that is sort of [00:13:44.399] missing that for you would be a gamecher [00:13:47.200] um that you think is out there, what [00:13:49.040] would it be? Like what would the one [00:13:50.320] thing be right now? If you could have it [00:13:52.240] in your hands, what would it be? [00:13:53.519] >> Well, I mean the a lot of the people [00:13:55.279] that have talked about the the [00:13:58.240] interacting with these eggshaped craft [00:14:00.800] that we have in our possession. I want [00:14:02.880] to see the craft. [00:14:04.320] >> Um we’ve heard people that have claimed [00:14:06.240] that they’ve gone into it and they’ve [00:14:07.839] lost time. I want I want to go into the [00:14:10.399] craft. I want to see for myself. Again, [00:14:13.120] I’m from Missouri. You’re going to have [00:14:14.320] to show me. And so that’s that’s um [00:14:17.519] until I get to that point, everything is [00:14:20.399] going to be blurry videos. [00:14:21.760] >> Okay, I will give you the final word. [00:14:23.440] I’m all out of my questions for now. Um [00:14:25.600] I’ll have many more days to come, but [00:14:27.519] final word, you can wrap it up uh with [00:14:30.240] this. [00:14:30.720] >> Yeah, I just think that at the end of [00:14:32.800] the day, this is a fascinating topic. Um [00:14:36.320] and it’s the the more that we recognize [00:14:39.680] that this is a national security threat, [00:14:42.000] the better. I’m glad to see that this [00:14:43.760] administration has recognized that it is [00:14:45.920] a threat. [00:14:47.040] >> Um I would I would point everyone to the [00:14:50.160] two documents. There’s been one document [00:14:51.920] that was released in the first batch and [00:14:53.600] then a second document that’s similar [00:14:55.519] that are the the accounts of individuals [00:14:57.920] that were on site at one of our military [00:15:00.079] installations [00:15:01.680] that had an experience with these orbs. [00:15:04.160] >> And and to me I got that briefing by [00:15:06.880] those individuals who had been there [00:15:09.120] >> shortly after the event happened. And [00:15:11.279] that to me is something I would point [00:15:12.959] everyone to. I think th that that [00:15:14.720] evidence is much more important than [00:15:17.839] some of the videos that [00:15:19.199] >> Yeah, that was a fascinating one. I know [00:15:20.720] the document you’re talking about. I [00:15:21.920] think it’s that kind of thing that makes [00:15:23.360] people in this building who used to [00:15:25.360] laugh at this topic now all of a sudden [00:15:27.839] take it seriously when they see from [00:15:29.600] national security folks who are [00:15:31.680] experiencing. [00:15:32.720] >> Yeah. In fact, today at the so at the [00:15:34.480] baseball practice, I had one member kind [00:15:36.800] of snicker about, you know, to me about [00:15:38.800] the UFO thing or about aliens. And I [00:15:41.519] said and I said, “Have you had that have [00:15:43.519] you had the briefing? Have you had the [00:15:45.519] briefing that that me and and leader [00:15:48.959] Scaliz and others have had? I I would [00:15:51.600] recommend that you have that briefing [00:15:53.040] before you you turn, you know, because [00:15:56.000] you’ll walk away from that briefing not [00:15:58.320] knowing that this is not comical [00:16:00.160] anymore.” [00:16:00.800] >> Yeah. Thank you, Congressman. Thank you. [00:16:02.480] >> Really appreciate it as always. Thank [00:16:04.320] Thank you.