President-elect Donald Trump on Friday weighed in on a weekslong search for answers about sightings of mysterious drone-like objects flying over New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, suggesting—without providing evidence—that the government may be shielding information from the public about the drones and calling for them to be shot down if that’s not the case.
Multiple drones are seen over Bernardsville, N.J., Dec. 5, 2024
Associated Press
Key Takeaways
- Trump took to Truth Social on Friday afternoon, posting “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!!!’
- The call to shoot down the objects, first spotted in New Jersey in mid-November, echoes the calls of frustrated lawmakers who’ve lamented what they call a lack of urgency in the government’s response to the situation.
- Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said Thursday “We should be doing some very urgent intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies, especially if they’re flying over airports or military bases.”
- Trump also isn’t the first politician to suggest the government knows more than it’s saying—Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., said at a press conference Friday that she does not believe the U.S., “with its military capabilities, does not know what these objects are” and called on federal officials to “be straight with us and just tell us what is going on.”
- In the weeks since the first sightings, social media users have reported hundreds of sightings of the objects, with one describing the drones as “large and loud,” and people have posted videos showing lit objects hovering in the sky at night.
- The White House on Thursday downplayed the sightings and John Kirby, the White House’s national security communications adviser, said the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and state and local law enforcement agencies “have not been able to corroborate any of the reported visual sightings” of the drones.
- The FBI and DHS said in a statement they have discovered “no evidence at this time” of “malicious activity” in New Jersey or a “national security or public safety threat.”
Crucial Quote
“While the benefits of drone technology are widely recognized when used responsibly and transparently, the lack of information and clarity regarding these operations has caused fear and frustration among our constituents,” read a letter from more than 20 mayors across New Jersey to Gov. Phil Murphy. “Our efforts to address these concerns have been hindered by the lack of information available to us. This situation is untenable.”
Key Background
Since the drones were first spotted weeks ago, reports of similar, low-flying objects were reported in other parts of the state, over Staten Island and areas of New York City, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Connecticut. Roughly 3,000 sightings have been reported to the FBI tipline related to the investigation.
Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said he “personally witnessed (and videoed) what appeared to be dozens of large drones in the sky,” and officials at Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey said there had been “multiple” reports of drones over the base. Drones have also been spotted flying over four U.S. Air Force bases in the U.K., The New York Times reported, though it’s unclear if those were related to the objects seen in the U.S.
The public knows almost nothing about the objects, but the Pentagon did reject a claim from Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., claiming they were related to an Iranian operation. Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon’s deputy press secretary, said “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.”
Lawmakers have called for more transparency, including New Jersey state Sen. Jon Bramnick, who urged for a “limited state of emergency” to be implemented in the state. Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Andy Kim, D-N.J. and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., sent a letter Thursday to the FBI, DHS and Federal Aviation Administration asking for more information on the investigation.
