I think it's possible that it's both. Consider the possibility that clandestine aliens are here and can mess with us and our defences and abduct us with impunit

I think it's possible that it's both. Consider the possibility that clandestine aliens are here and can mess with us and our defences and abduct us with impunity, their intentions are not great, and the manhattan project part is the reverse-engineering of their technology in order to stand a chance in the long run. There's no way to not make it sound like you're insane when speculating this topic, but it's one that far too many credible people have gone on the record with both experiences and beliefs about, for there to be nothing to it. Edgar Mitchell walked on the moon and believed that the aliens are here.