White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in her first briefing on Tuesday that the mysterious drones seen over New Jersey were “not the enemy.” Leavitt read a statement from President Trump regarding the drones before opening the floor to questions from journalists.
“After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by FAA for research and various other reasons,” Leavitt said, reading aloud Trump’s dictation. “Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational and private individuals that enjoy flying drones. In time, it got worse due to curiosity. This was not the enemy,” she said during the briefing.
Clearing the Air
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The statements come several months after the first drones appeared in November, flying over military bases and Trump’s golf course in Bedminster, raising concerns about potential foreign threats monitoring American citizens.
Leavitt reassured the public that “this was not the enemy,” but she did not reveal who was operating the drones or what kind of research was being carried out.
On January 10, Trump said that he would release a report on the drones “about one day into the administration,” suggesting that it was likely the U.S. itself sending the drones.
The announcement has triggered outrage among Americans, with many questioning “why Biden lied to them.”
On his first day back in the Oval Office, Trump announced he would begin investigating the mysterious drone activity and assigned his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, to lead the effort.
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“I would like to find out what it is and tell the people. In fact, I’d like to do that,” he said.
“Could we find out what that was, Susie? Why don’t we find out immediately?”
The concern over unexplained UFOs began in mid-November when “car-sized” drones were spotted in Morris County, followed by thousands of sightings from surrounding areas.
The first video footage revealed drones with red and green lights on their wings, and numerous eyewitnesses reported them being as large as a small car.
In December, officials held several congressional meetings to discuss the unusual sightings, with the FBI revealing it had received over 3,000 reports within just one week.
Mystery Unraveled
The FBI also acknowledged that it didn’t know who was behind the flying objects, while the U.S. military said it was not responsible. The White House reassured the public that it was “closely” monitoring the situation.
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However, Leavitt claimed that the Trump administration had investigated the incidents and confirmed that the drones were government-authorized.
On December 16, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a joint statement addressing the issue.
“Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones,” the statement read.
“We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.”
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However, the sightings continued, prompting the FAA to implement a temporary drone ban in 22 New Jersey towns from December 19 until January 17.
