Person
David Grusch
Former intelligence officer who went public in June 2023 about a crash-retrieval program and testified to Congress. Special Advisor to Rep. Eric Burlison from 27 March 2025 to about Labor Day 2026.
Witness profile
Former Air Force and intelligence officer who sat on the UAP Task Force, filed an IG complaint in 2022 and testified under oath in 2023 about a crash-retrieval program he says he was refused access to.
Describes the witness from the record, their own retellings and how they come across. No score for the person; the factors at the end belong to the cases.
From the record service · posting · clearance · testimony
| Service | US Air Force officer, combat veteran (Afghanistan)Hearing biography, July 2023 | documented |
|---|---|---|
| Posting | NGA senior GEOINT capabilities requirements officer, 2021 to April 2023Public bios and records | documented |
| UAP role | UAP Task Force liaison for the NRO and NGAJay Stratton: "I handpicked Dave Grusch" (The Age of Disclosure, 1:25:29) | documented |
| Clearance | Top Secret/SCIStated under oath, July 2023 | documented |
| Complaint | The Intelligence Community IG found his complaint credible and urgent (2022)ICIG determination | documented |
| Since | Special Advisor to Rep. Eric Burlison, March 2025 to about September 2026Congressional office | documented |
Retellings over time from the transcript library and records
Following: A crash-retrieval and reverse-engineering program
- 2022 Complaint to the Intelligence Community IG · recordSealed. Found credible and urgent.
- 2023-06 Goes public (The Debrief, NewsNation) · first tellingThe program exists and he was refused access. Not yet in the transcript library.
- 2023-07-26 House Oversight hearing, under oath · heldSame account; details kept for a closed session. Hearing record on congress.gov.
- 2025 The Age of Disclosure · held
I handpicked Dave Grusch to be part of my UAP task force.
▶ 1:25:29His task-force lead backs his posting. - 2026-10 Joe Rogan (via Cristina Gomez recap) · detail added
A US crash retrieval team reached a downed craft and found the beings inside it still alive.
0:00New: a retrieval team found living reptilian beings and some soldiers never came home. Secondhand, told to him. - 2026-10 Megyn Kelly, Judicial Watch, Joe Rogan · detail addedNew names: Clapper, O'Sullivan, Cheney; a Lockheed facility and CIA gatekeepers.
first tellingheldclarifieddetail addeddetail shiftedrecord
On camera demeanour notes, timestamped
How they look and speak: hesitations, self-corrections, emotion. Dashed slots still need the video.
House hearing, July 2023
Pauses, checks with counsel, declines in open session. Count and time the "I can't answer that here" moments.Needs the video on Igor's PC
Joe Rogan, 2026
Emotional register in the lost-team story; how he separates what he saw from what he was told. We hold only the Gomez recap.Needs the video on Igor's PC
Feeds case plausibility consistency · restraint · character
Current factor values from the case ratings. The arrow shows which part of this profile backs each one.
David Grusch comes forwardplausibility Very high
Consistent over time2Same account to the IG, Congress and press. ← IG complaint 2022, hearing 2023 and 2025 all held.Restraint2Withholds details for secure settings. ← Details held back for a closed session at the hearing.Character record2Decorated veteran, cleared intelligence officer. ← The record table.
Grusch on Rogan: retrievals, beings and the threatsplausibility Very high
Consistent over time1Core claims unchanged since 2023. ← Core claims unchanged since 2023.Story grew−1Reptilians and an undersea base are new since 2023. ← The 2026 "added" retellings.
Profile updated 2026-10-23
Claims (14)
'General Clapper was well aware of the crash retrieval issue, managed the crash retrieval issue, and when he was the DNI, USDI and DIA director placed people in critical roles... both publicly and non-publicly'; he also named Stephanie O'Sullivan.The Manhattan Project 2.0 - the Secrecy of UFO Crash Retrieval Programs [VOL.1]firsthandSourced, unconfirmedDavid Grusch
Dick Cheney ('Darth Vader') was the last central leadership and left in 2009; early in the war on terror IRAD-funded contractors 'did their own thing', retrieving and exploiting while 'only loosely accountable'.firsthandSourced, unconfirmedDavid Grusch
Leadership 'rotated by time epochs' among trusted career civil servants and industry executives: 'rule by committee, flat hierarchy'; gatekeepers are 'career senior executive officials... both in and out of government'.firsthandSourced, unconfirmedDavid Grusch
Non-covert-action White House SAPs carry no reporting carve-outs ('five people in the NSC know about and the president at one time'), and recovered material is 'transclassified' as Atomic Energy Act special nuclear material.Special Access Required - the Secrecy of UFO Crash Retrieval Programs [VOL.2]firsthandSourced, unconfirmedDavid Grusch
A mid-1990s 'burn bag and shred party' at one agency followed fear that Clinton would disclose.Special Access Required - the Secrecy of UFO Crash Retrieval Programs [VOL.2]secondhandSourced, unconfirmedDavid Grusch
Harry Reid told him: 'I knew we had UFO material. I was denied access for decades.'Special Access Required - the Secrecy of UFO Crash Retrieval Programs [VOL.2]secondhandSourced, unconfirmedDavid Grusch
After he left NGA, officials tried to revoke his chief of staff's clearance and did revoke his NRO boss's clearance.Special Access Required - the Secrecy of UFO Crash Retrieval Programs [VOL.2]firsthandSourced, unconfirmedDavid Grusch
Lockheed wanted to divest material at a specific facility (address given to the IG), the CIA 'said no' to DIA and Lockheed, and Ryder and Gaffney were gatekeepers.firsthandSourced, unconfirmedDavid Grusch
He was NGA senior GEOINT capabilities requirements officer (2021-Apr 2023) and UAP Task Force liaison for the NRO and NGA.National Reconnaissance Office - UFO Crash Retrievals, Surveillance, and Legacy Program GatekeepersfirsthandOn the recordpublic bios and records (cited by UAP Gerb)
He saw peer-adversary intelligence reporting on US retrieval and reverse engineering, analysed at centres such as NASIC, which DIA has not given Congress.firsthandSourced, unconfirmedDavid Grusch
An off-books foreign materiel exploitation program is 'hidden in plain sight', its black-program placemat showing only the 'day job'.firsthandSourced, unconfirmedDavid Grusch
He was partly read into intelligence reporting from the programs, has seen images of biologics, and saw intelligence on adversary programs.David Grusch Fox Interview, Age of Disclosure, Sandia, Current Research, & QnA - UAP Gerb LivefirsthandSourced, unconfirmedDavid Grusch
He was physically threatened before he filed his ICIG complaint.David Grusch Fox Interview, Age of Disclosure, Sandia, Current Research, & QnA - UAP Gerb LiveThe price of contactfirsthandSourced, unconfirmedDavid Grusch
Elements of the CIA and DIA are trying to block the administration from getting files on crash recoveries and exploitation.UFO File Drop 1, Manhattan Project 2.0, Greer NPC, Highlighting Gatekeepers & QnA - UAP Gerb Livewar.gov/ufofirsthandSourced, unconfirmedDavid Grusch
What David Grusch said (52 claims)
Witness testimony 35Alleged 1
“There are 25 to 100 craft held, and more than 40 firsthand witnesses back the claim.”Witness testimony80 Years of UFO Crash Retrieval and Reverse Engineering: A Timeline
Grusch's public statements.
“Decisions on the programmes rest with career senior executive officials both in and out of government, and waived programmes should be reported to the Gang of Eight.”Witness testimonyThe Hidden Wing - US Air Force UFO Reverse Engineering Programs
Grusch's 2023 hearing testimony.
“Grusch tried to approach AARO and Kirkpatrick but never heard back.”Witness testimonyThe Modern Day UFO Disinformation Agent - Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick's Lies
Grusch's public statements, as Gerb gives them.
“He was partly read into intelligence reporting from the programs, has seen images of biologics, and saw intelligence on adversary programs.”Witness testimonyDavid Grusch Fox Interview, Age of Disclosure, Sandia, Current Research, & QnA - UAP Gerb Live
Fox News with Bret Baier, aired 21 Nov 2025.
“He was physically threatened before he filed his ICIG complaint.”Witness testimonyDavid Grusch Fox Interview, Age of Disclosure, Sandia, Current Research, & QnA - UAP Gerb Live
“An Obama-era effort run by John Podesta, with Elizondo, the OSAP crew, TTSA and Air Force figures such as Neil McCasland, aimed to cast Hillary Clinton as the disclosure president.”Witness testimonyAir Force Hidden Wing, Admin & the UFO Files, "It's Probably Nothing" tour, & QnA - UAP Gerb Live
Grusch on Megyn Kelly.
“Elements of the CIA and DIA are trying to block the administration from getting files on crash recoveries and exploitation.”Witness testimonyUFO File Drop 1, Manhattan Project 2.0, Greer NPC, Highlighting Gatekeepers & QnA - UAP Gerb Live
To Bret Baier.
“He knows of a criminal enterprise used to fund operations, and has identified billions in covert slush funds on DoD accounting ledgers.”Witness testimonyCurrent Work, Return of the PowerPoint & QnA - UAP Gerb Live
9 June event and a Capitol Hill appearance; he then worked for Rep. Burlison.
“There have been 25 to 100 crashes, in his estimate.”Witness testimonyUFO Crash Retrievals, Disclosure & Extended QnA - UAP Gerb Live
On Dr. Phil.
“He is confident, not promising, of an executive-level disclosure, and expects it to include the 10-minute video he saw from a source inside the programs; this is his last interview but one until then, and he has left Burlison's office.”Witness testimonyDavid Grusch on JRE, Herrington Denial, RFK Shoot Down Briefing & QnA - UAP Gerb Live
“The video, about 10 minutes and close-up, shows a contemporary crash site of a boomerang craft with three or four 'beautiful' humanoid beings in tight suits with whitish-blue skin; he sat on it for years until he confirmed the event.”Witness testimonyDavid Grusch on JRE, Herrington Denial, RFK Shoot Down Briefing & QnA - UAP Gerb Live
“Foreign intelligence reports on US crash-retrieval activity were analysed by NASIC; the program uses an off-books part of the Foreign Materiel Program, and more nations than the US, Russia and China have craft.”Witness testimonyDavid Grusch on JRE, Herrington Denial, RFK Shoot Down Briefing & QnA - UAP Gerb Live
Also in his 9 June Capitol statement.
“The SALT-era notification agreements of 1971 and 1977 are 'the top layer of the onion', and a gentleman's agreement covers legacy programs.”Witness testimonyDavid Grusch on JRE, Herrington Denial, RFK Shoot Down Briefing & QnA - UAP Gerb Live
Gerb searched the National Archives for ATOM 222/333 flash-code records and found pages removed as classified.
“He was groomed for a legacy role through a year-long vetting without knowing it; his anomalous-signal deconfliction work was 'looking for UAP without knowing it', and the program uses conventional national-security collection rather than its own.”Witness testimonyDavid Grusch on JRE, Herrington Denial, RFK Shoot Down Briefing & QnA - UAP Gerb Live
“A Nixon-era disclosure plan produced a filmed briefing, with a chalkboard and craft, meant for release.”Witness testimonyDavid Grusch on JRE, Herrington Denial, RFK Shoot Down Briefing & QnA - UAP Gerb Live
“An underwater facility the size of several city blocks manufactures devices.”Witness testimonyDavid Grusch on JRE, Herrington Denial, RFK Shoot Down Briefing & QnA - UAP Gerb Live
“Most successful reverse engineering was 'inspiration', not copying, with a possible 'Trojan horse' dependence on limited exotic materials.”Witness testimonyDavid Grusch on JRE, Herrington Denial, RFK Shoot Down Briefing & QnA - UAP Gerb Live
“Specific officers, not the whole government, finance covert programs through human trafficking for profit.”Witness testimonyDavid Grusch on JRE, Herrington Denial, RFK Shoot Down Briefing & QnA - UAP Gerb Live
He cites the David Rush gold-bar case (a fake continuity-of-government SAP) as a pattern.
“To The Stars and the Clinton effort were a limited-disclosure hangout with top cover from James Clapper, 'prepping the battle space'.”Witness testimonyDavid Grusch on JRE, Herrington Denial, RFK Shoot Down Briefing & QnA - UAP Gerb Live
“Lockheed wanted to divest material at a specific facility whose address he gave the Inspector General, and the CIA said no.”Witness testimonyLockheed Martin - UFO Reverse Engineering, Material Exploitation, & Legacy Programs
Grusch's own claim on Rogan; details only in closed session.
“Italy recovered a craft in 1933 that later passed to the United States.”Witness testimonyThe 1933 Magenta, Italy UFO Crash
“Clapper was well aware of and managed the crash retrieval issue and placed people in critical roles, and O'Sullivan is also named.”Witness testimonyThe Manhattan Project 2.0 - the Secrecy of UFO Crash Retrieval Programs [VOL.1]
Grusch's public statements.
“Much of the programme was hidden 'in an onion fashion' in space architectures, and the White House should have a public acknowledgement strategy.”Witness testimonyThe Manhattan Project 2.0 - the Secrecy of UFO Crash Retrieval Programs [VOL.1]
Grusch at the Space Symposium.
“Grusch says Clapper managed the crash retrieval issue and placed people publicly and non-publicly as DNI, USD(I) and DIA director, and named Stephanie O'Sullivan.”Witness testimonyThe MITRE Corporation - UFO Reverse Engineering, USO Tracking, & Legacy Programs
Grusch's public statements.
“Legacy work is done as the 'night job' of a NASIC analyst who also works for the legacy program.”Witness testimonyNASIC: Air Force UFO Crash Retrieval & Reverse Engineering
Grusch at the 2026 Space Symposium.
“Matthew Sullivan, Grusch's source, worked at NASIC and died before a planned protected disclosure.”Witness testimonyNASIC: Air Force UFO Crash Retrieval & Reverse Engineering
Grusch and Rep. Luna; obituary confirms the career.
“Defense contractors receive recovered material by hand receipt, sole source, and sell it back to the government.”Witness testimonyUFO Legacy Programs - Northrop Grumman
Grusch's public statement; his sources are unnamed.
“Contractors using IRAD 'did their own thing' early in the war on terror, retrieving and exploiting craft while only loosely accountable to government.”Witness testimonyNorthrop Grumman & TRW - UFO Reverse Engineering, Material Exploitation, & Legacy Programs [Vol.2]
Grusch on Megyn Kelly; he has named misappropriation and IRAD overcharging under oath.
“Cheney was the last central leader of the programmes and left in 2009, and Clapper managed the crash retrieval issue afterward.”Witness testimonyNorthrop Grumman & TRW - UFO Reverse Engineering, Material Exploitation, & Legacy Programs [Vol.2]
Grusch's public statements.
“Grusch reviewed overhead collection he could not explain and cannot discuss crash imagery in open session.”Witness testimonyNational Reconnaissance Office - UFO Crash Retrievals, Surveillance, and Legacy Program Gatekeepers
26 July 2023 hearing; he was UAPTF liaison to NRO and NGA.
“Non-covert-action White House SAPs carry no reporting carve-outs, and only about five people in the NSC and at one time the president know of them.”Witness testimonySpecial Access Required - the Secrecy of UFO Crash Retrieval Programs [VOL.2]
Grusch to Judicial Watch.
“Recovered material has been 'transclassified' into a nuclear secret using the Atomic Energy Act's special nuclear material rules.”Witness testimonySpecial Access Required - the Secrecy of UFO Crash Retrieval Programs [VOL.2]
Grusch's public statements.
“One agency held a 'burn bag and shred party' in the mid-1990s out of fear that Clinton would disclose.”Witness testimonySpecial Access Required - the Secrecy of UFO Crash Retrieval Programs [VOL.2]
Grusch, from people who told him.
“Money has been misappropriated through haircuts on other black programmes, self-funding cutouts and IRAD, which he reported to the Justice Department as a criminal enterprise.”Witness testimonySpecial Access Required - the Secrecy of UFO Crash Retrieval Programs [VOL.2]
Grusch's public statements.
“After Grusch left NGA, his chief of staff's clearance was targeted and his NRO boss's clearance was revoked.”Witness testimonySpecial Access Required - the Secrecy of UFO Crash Retrieval Programs [VOL.2]
Grusch's own account of reprisals.
“Grusch confirmed the Malmstrom incident to Ross Coulthart.”AllegedUFOs and Nuclear Weapons - A Fascinating Connection
From his sources.
“The craft becoming the seed of the U.S. 'legacy program'.”secondhandSourced, unconfirmedMagenta, 1933
“The study was a hypothetical exercise that scored disclosure scenarios numerically.”secondhandSourced, unconfirmedDisclosure-effects study
“Stephen Hadley sponsored it (Grusch says Hadley denies it).”secondhandSourced, unconfirmedDisclosure-effects study
“Intact non-human craft and 'biologics' held by the U.S. and its contractors.”secondhandSourced, unconfirmedGrusch goes public
“Grusch's statements about bodies, harm to people and misused funds, which he said he could only detail in a secure setting.”secondhandSourced, unconfirmedHearing, 2023
“A tic-tac was brought down in a fight between non-human groups, with dead greys outside and surviving reptilians inside; US personnel were hurt and killed and US forces killed the reptilians.”secondhandSourced, unconfirmedGrusch on Rogan
“Being types: tall human-like beings (boomerang or crescent craft), greys in at least three sizes, and reptilians 7 ft or taller (tic-tacs); at least 12 to 24 crashes came from fights between groups.”secondhandSourced, unconfirmedGrusch on Rogan
“He has seen a recent, clear video of three or four dead human-looking beings with pale bluish-white skin and greyish hair, and checked it for years against other sources.”firsthandSourced, unconfirmedGrusch on Rogan
“Where the cadaver video was shot and by whom; that the bodies are preserved and some beings were seen alive, with genetic comparisons done.”secondhandSourced, unconfirmedGrusch on Rogan
“In early 2022 he and his wife received coordinated threats.”firsthandSourced, unconfirmedGrusch on Rogan
“In a Senate Intelligence SCIF, senior staffers (including staff for Rubio and Warner) told him 'they wanted to kill you'; the plot was considered and stopped.”secondhandSourced, unconfirmedGrusch on Rogan
“An undersea base 'multiple city blocks' in size, with objects arriving and leaving.”secondhandSourced, unconfirmedGrusch on Rogan
“A few defense contractors had exclusive, no-bid access to recovered material, and contractor liability is the main motive for secrecy.”speculationSourced, unconfirmedGrusch on Rogan
“Gen. Neil McCasland advised presenting the beings as 'Greek gods'.”secondhandSourced, unconfirmedGrusch on Rogan
“Stephen Miller told him 'the information will come out' at a White House UFC event.”firsthandSourced, unconfirmedGrusch on Rogan
“MITRE has been sent formal questions by Burlison's office to answer by sworn affidavit.”firsthandLeadGrusch on Rogan
Cases (8)
- 1967Missiles shut down at Malmstrom
- 2004The 2004-07 study on the effects of disclosure
- 2020The UAP Task Force
- 2023David Grusch comes forward
- 2023Grusch, Fravor and Graves under oath
- 2023A committee of 27 and a threat to kill
- 2025Jake Barber and the golden egg
- 2026Grusch on Rogan: retrievals, beings and the threats
Connected
National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) orgBrent Friedman personEric Burlison personEric Weinstein personGlenn Gaffney personHarry Reid personJames Clapper personJay Stratton personJim Ryder personJohn S. Herrington personMichael Herrera personStephanie O'Sullivan personAtomic Energy Act of 1954 documentCIA memo on channelling contractor IRAD (5 April 1982) documentJohn Herrington denies Brent Friedman's 1981 account document
Sources
- Wikipedia: The Age of Disclosure
- UAP Gerb: Northrop Grumman and TRW, Vol. 2
- UAP Gerb: 80 Years, the legacy-program timeline
- UAP Gerb: Special Access Required, Vol. 2
- UAP Gerb: The Manhattan Project 2.0, Vol. 1
- UAP Gerb: Lockheed Martin, reverse engineering and legacy programs
- UAP Gerb: the National Reconnaissance Office
- UAP Gerb, 'David Grusch Fox Interview, Age of Disclosure, Sandia, Current Research, & QnA - UAP Gerb Live' (YouTube, 24 November 2025)
- UAP Gerb, 'UFO File Drop 1, Manhattan Project 2.0, Greer NPC, Highlighting Gatekeepers & QnA - UAP Gerb Live' (YouTube, 12 May 2026)
- UAP Gerb, 'The State of Disclosure, Hanging with Ross Coulthart, Current Events & QnA - UAP Gerb Live' (YouTube, 29 June 2026)
Mentioned on (33)
- Documentaries: The Age of Disclosure
- American Alchemy: Secretary of Energy John Herrington on UFOs, plus Brent Friedman's reply
- Mysteries with a History: Cristina Gomez and Jimmy Church live on Jay Stratton's book and media tour
- Keeping It Real with Jillian Michaels: Luis Elizondo on MILABs, the missing scientists and Stargate
- UAP Gerb: 1997 Alien Reproduction Vehicle Encounter at 29 Palms, CA: The Testimony of Sgt Roderick Castle
- UAP Gerb: 80 Years of UFO Crash Retrieval and Reverse Engineering: A Timeline
- UAP Gerb: Michael Herrera - Insights into UAP Encounter and Black Program Insiders
- UAP Gerb: The Hidden Wing - US Air Force UFO Reverse Engineering Programs
- UAP Gerb: SOL Foundation: Karl Nell - A Key Figure in UAP Disclosure
- UAP Gerb: The Modern Day UFO Disinformation Agent - Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick's Lies
- UAP Gerb: 9/1/24 Discussing WD Memo, 2004 JSOC Case and Q&A
- UAP Gerb: 10K Live! UAPDA, Crash Retrieval Research, Q&A and More
- UAP Gerb: 9/29/24 Bush/Cheney Historical Connections to UFO Legacy Crash Retrieval Programs Ft. VolarRecords
- UAP Gerb: Sept 2025 House Oversight Committee UFO Hearings Recap
- UAP Gerb: David Grusch Fox Interview, Age of Disclosure, Sandia, Current Research, & QnA - UAP Gerb Live
- UAP Gerb: UFO File Drop 1, Manhattan Project 2.0, Greer NPC, Highlighting Gatekeepers & QnA - UAP Gerb Live
- UAP Gerb: The State of Disclosure, Hanging with Ross Coulthart, Current Events & QnA - UAP Gerb Live
- UAP Gerb: Current Work, Return of the PowerPoint & QnA - UAP Gerb Live
- UAP Gerb: UFO Crash Retrievals, Disclosure & Extended QnA - UAP Gerb Live
- UAP Gerb: David Grusch on JRE, Herrington Denial, RFK Shoot Down Briefing & QnA - UAP Gerb Live
- UAP Gerb: Lockheed Martin - UFO Reverse Engineering, Material Exploitation, & Legacy Programs
- UAP Gerb: UFOs in the Private Sector - Lockheed Martin
- UAP Gerb: The 1933 Magenta, Italy UFO Crash
- UAP Gerb: The Manhattan Project 2.0 - the Secrecy of UFO Crash Retrieval Programs [VOL.1]
- UAP Gerb: The MITRE Corporation - UFO Reverse Engineering, USO Tracking, & Legacy Programs
- UAP Gerb: MOON DUST - The Pentagon's Secret UFO Programs
- UAP Gerb: NASIC: Air Force UFO Crash Retrieval & Reverse Engineering
- UAP Gerb: UFO Legacy Programs - Northrop Grumman
- UAP Gerb: Northrop Grumman & TRW - UFO Reverse Engineering, Material Exploitation, & Legacy Programs [Vol.2]
- UAP Gerb: National Reconnaissance Office - UFO Crash Retrievals, Surveillance, and Legacy Program Gatekeepers
- UAP Gerb: Special Access Required - the Secrecy of UFO Crash Retrieval Programs [VOL.2]
- UAP Gerb: UFOs and Nuclear Weapons - A Fascinating Connection
- WEAPONIZED: Did Trump authorize the shootdown of UFOs? (Christopher Sharp)