This photo provided by Trisha Bushey shows the evening sky and points of light near in Lebanon Township, New Jersey, on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (Trisha Bushey via AP)President-elect Donald Trump called for mystery drones spotted above the Northeast to be shot down, taking questions some lawmakers have been asking a step further. Northeast residents have been baffled by sightings of mysterious drones, to which the Biden administration has offered vague answers. Trump urged a forceful response, calling for them to be shot […]
President-elect Donald Trump called for mystery drones spotted above the Northeast to be shot down, taking questions some lawmakers have been asking a step further.
Northeast residents have been baffled by sightings of mysterious drones, to which the Biden administration has offered vague answers. Trump urged a forceful response, calling for them to be shot down.
“Mystery Drone sightings all over the Country. Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge. I don’t think so! Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!! DJT,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
In a joint statement, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI dismissed concerns over the drones. They stated that “it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully” adding that there is “no known malicious activity occurring in New Jersey.”
Residents of New York, New Jersey, and now Pennsylvania and Maryland have all reported sightings in recent weeks. Local lawmakers and members of Congress have voiced concerns about national security, speculating a foreign actor could be flying the drones.
Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) went the furthest in his criticisms, alleging that high-level sources told him that the drones came from an Iranian “mothership.”
“That mothership… is off the East Coast of the United States of America. They’ve launched drones into everything that we can see or hear,” he said on Wednesday. “These are from high sources. I don’t say this lightly.”
The Pentagon was quick to dismiss the claims, saying there was no evidence of that.
“There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there’s no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States,” deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said.
She added that the initial Pentagon assessment determined that “these are not drones coming from a foreign entity or adversary.”
Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan criticized the government for a lack of transparency over the response.
“Like many who have observed these drones, I do not know if this increasing activity over our skies is a threat to public safety or national security,” he said. “But the public is growing increasingly concerned and frustrated with the complete lack of transparency and the dismissive attitude of the federal government. The government has the ability to track these from their point of origin but has mounted a negligent response. People are rightfully clamoring for answers, but aren’t getting any.”
