...
By Sonam Sheth
Evening Politics Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
What's New
President-elect Donald Trump has weighed in several times over the last few days on a slew of drone sightings in the Northeast and suggested the Biden administration is withholding information from the public.
Why It Matters
The mystery drones were first spotted over New Jersey last month, according to a report from NJ.com, and they've since been seen across the state and in other parts of the Northeast.
Read More on Politics
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and local law enforcement officials are investigating the sightings, some of which have been near critical infrastructure sites and military installations.
The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily restricted flights over some areas, including Trump's golf club in New Jersey, amid the flurry of sightings.
...
What To Know
Trump first commented on the drone sightings last week, suggesting that they should be shot down and that the Biden administration was withholding information from the public.
"Mystery Drone sightings all over the Country," he wrote Friday on Truth Social. "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."
On Monday, he reiterated his comments about President Joe Biden, telling reporters, "The government knows what is happening. Look, our military knows where they took off from. If it's a garage, they can go right into that garage. They know where it came from and where it went."
"And for some reason, they don't want to comment," he added. "I think they'd be better off saying what it is. Our military knows, and our president knows, and for some reason, they want to keep people in suspense."
The president-elect didn't say whether he had gotten an intelligence briefing on the drones.
"If it was the enemy, they'd blast it out," Trump said, referring to what he thought the U.S. government would do if it believed a foreign adversary was manning the drones. "Even if they were late, they'd blast it. Something strange is going on. For some reason, they don't want to tell the people."
The White House says there is no evidence that a foreign power is behind the drones.
Trump also said Monday that he canceled a trip to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, amid reports of drone sightings in the area.
"They're very close to Bedminster," he told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. "I think I won't spend the weekend in Bedminster. I decided to cancel my trip."
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI also released a joint statement last week saying there is no indication "at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus."
It added, however, that "while there is no known malicious activity occurring in New Jersey, the reported sightings there do...highlight the insufficiency of current authorities."
Trump, meanwhile, helped create a drone program in 2017 that "brought state, local, and tribal governments together with private sector entities, such as [unmanned aircraft systems] operators or manufacturers, to test and evaluate the integration of civil and public drone operations into our national airspace system."
What People Are Saying
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on ABC's This Week: "There's no question that people are seeing drones. And I want to assure the public that we, in the federal government, have deployed additional resources, personnel, technology, to assist the New Jersey State Police in addressing the drone sightings."
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on X: "The public deserves clear answers — we will keep pushing the federal government for more information and resources."
Former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman, on MSNBC: "I don't think we have to worry, but what's frustrating is to have the government say, 'Well, there's no problem. We don't know what it is, but it's no problem.' That's not a satisfying answer. We need better from the government."
What Comes Next
The federal government continues to face pressure from state and local officials and the public about the drone sightings.
Mayorkas said on ABC that Congress should broaden the government's authority to counter drone activity by expanding a 2018 law that allows the DHS and Justice Department to use advanced technologies to identify and track drones. The drone-countering powers outlined in the law are set to expire on December 20.
"It is critical, as we all have said for a number of years, that we need from Congress additional authorities to address the drone situation," he said.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines