What have federal and state officials said about the drone sightings?

WASHINGTON – President-elect Donald Trump on Friday called for the mysterious drones spotted over New Jersey and other states to be shot down unless the government can inform the public who controls them.

His comments come as New Jersey residents have reported hundreds of drone sightings for nearly a month. According to the Asbury Park Press, the drones are six feet in diameter and typically fly from dusk to 11 p.m. Residents of other states such as Maryland and New York have also begun reporting similar sightings.

“Mysterious drone sightings across the country. Can this really happen without our government’s knowledge? I don’t believe that!” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday. “Let the public know, now. Otherwise she’ll shoot!!!”

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security said in a joint statement Thursday that there was no evidence that the drone sightings posed a threat to national or public safety.

They added that many reported sightings involve “manned aircraft operating lawfully.”

“The FBI, DHS and our federal partners, in close coordination with the New Jersey State Police, continue to deploy personnel and technology to investigate this situation and confirm whether the reported drone flights were actually drones or instead manned aircraft or aircraft otherwise inaccurate sightings. “The agencies said in the statement.

Lawmakers are putting pressure on the Biden administration

Lawmakers have called on federal authorities to take action and make drone sightings more transparent.

Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Andy Kim, D-N.J., Kristen Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and the Federal Aviation Administration demanding on Wednesday a briefing on how authorities are working with federal and local officials “to identify and address the source of these attacks.”

They said they were concerned about possible privacy or security risks that could come with the drone activity.

Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., criticized the Biden administration for its “dismissive” attitude toward the reported sightings.

“The Biden administration has a duty to the American people to immediately find out and tell us what is going on. Their lack of decisive action and empty assurances will only generate more speculation and further escalate the legitimate concerns of so many people,” he said in the statement.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, launched an investigation into the drone sightings on Friday in coordination with federal authorities. New Jersey’s Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Friday urging him to send more resources to the state to “fully understand what’s behind this activity.”

Maryland’s former Republican governor, Larry Hogan, also called on the government to take action after he posted a video on his social media that showed drones flying over his home.

“The government has the ability to track these from their point of origin but has been negligent in their response. People are rightly crying out for answers but getting none,” he said on X, formerly Twitter.

What have the Biden administration and state officials said about the drone sightings?

John Kirby, White House national security communications adviser, reiterated what federal authorities had said about the reported drone sightings, adding in a news conference Thursday that there was no evidence of foreign involvement from coastal vessels.

“We’re at the beginning here, not the end,” Kirby said. “There is still much work to be done and we are working closely with state and local authorities to obtain more information.”

New Jersey Rep. Paul Kanitra said federal officials have sent the most effective detection device, which they call an electro-optical infrared camera, which can detect drones within one to two miles and see them in the dark, the Asbury Park Press reports.

However, the devices could not detect the drones.

Asked about the downing of the drones, Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said Wednesday that any action against the drones would be a decision by state and local authorities.

“This is a decision made by local law enforcement,” Singh said. “If a drone or, as you know, any other activity poses a threat to military facilities, they always have the right to self-defense.”

Contributor:Lisa Robyn Kruse, Jenna CalderonAnd Amanda Oglesby by Asbury Park Press.Saleen Martin AndFernando Cervantes Jr. of USA TODAY.

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What have federal and state officials said about the drone sightings?

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