In December, Trump suggested that the Biden administration knew more than it was disclosing to the public about the drones, which were spotted all over the East Coast, though Leavitt did not specify whether the drones spotted outside of New Jersey were all legal.
“They know where it came from and where it went,” Mr. Trump said. “And for some reason, they do not want to comment. And I believe they would be better off saying what it is. Our military knows, as does our president. “And for some reason, they want to keep people in suspense.”
While speaking with Republican governors at Mar-a-Lago on Jan. 9, Trump promised to provide a report on drones “about one day” into his administration, “because I think it’s ridiculous that they are not telling you about what’s going on with the drones.”
However, on December 16, the Biden administration stated in a multiagency statement from the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the FAA, and the Department of Defense that, while drones were flying over New Jersey, they were a “combination” of lawful aerial activity.
“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,” according to a joint announcement.
The drone activity, first reported by the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office on November 19, resulted in temporary flight restrictions in New Jersey throughout November and December, particularly in Bedminster, New Jersey, where the president owns a golf club, and over the Picatinny Arsenal military base.
However, on December 19, a DHS spokesperson stated that the flight restrictions were “out of an abundance of caution.”
“We continue to assess there is no public safety threat relating to the reported drone sightings,” according to a spokesperson. “In coordination with the FAA and our critical infrastructure partners who requested temporary flight restrictions over their facilities, out of an abundance of caution, the FAA has issued temporary flight restrictions over some critical infrastructure facilities in New Jersey.”
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