It was us all along.
The numerous drone sightings over New Jersey were “not the enemy,” President Donald Trump said via the White House press secretary Tuesday.
Concerns were raised throughout the area as sightings were reported.
“After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said of information she just received from the president prior to a press meeting.
“Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational and private individuals that enjoy flying drones. In time it got worse due to curiosity,” she relayed. “This was not the enemy.”
In early December, Congressman Jeff Van Drew sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking for an order “to neutralize them as soon as possible,” including shooting them down.
Although federal and state authorities, including Gov. Phil Murphy, said at the time that the drones did not appear to be a threat to public safety, Van Drew said he believed the drones “could be the work of foreign adversaries, specifically Iran.”
The FBI received more than 5,000 tips about reported drone sightings within weeks, a joint statement put out by several federal agencies last month.
“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 Dec. 16 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.”
The message was not that far off the one passed on Tuesday from Trump.
It was not clear whether any of those sent by the FAA "for research and various other reasons," were in response to the original sightings.
State Sen. Vincent Polistina lauded President Trump’s statement.
“I appreciate the president providing clarity regarding the situation after months of deflection and obfuscation from the previous administration,” Polistina told BreakingAC. “The people deserve answers when there are serious questions and concerns about safety and security so I applaud the president providing those answers.”
Van Drew released a statement Wednesday praising the Trump administration for its handling of the drone controversy and reiterating his criticism of the Biden administration.
“For months, the Biden administration ignored us. They refused to tell the people of New Jersey what was going on with these mysterious drones. Now, just one week into the Trump administration, we finally have some answers. This is what transparency looks like and it is what the American people deserve,” Van Drew said.
In his statement, Van Drew warned that the drone controversy underscores that China is far more advanced in the development of drone technology compared to the U.S.
“But let’s be clear: what we have learned is alarming. We are nearly a decade behind China in our drone technology, and our enemies are far more advanced than we thought. This is our wake-up call. America should always be the best at everything. It is time for us to step up and ensure our country is always ahead of the curve,” he said.
