During a wide-ranging Monday morning press conference, President-elect Donald Trump said that “the government knows what is happening” about the New Jersey drone mystery.
This contradicts official comments from federal and state officials, who have maintained they have no idea why suspicious drones have been observed flying over New Jersey, Staten Island, and elsewhere in recent weeks.
The Pentagon said that the aircraft are not US military drones, and authorities have denied suggestions that the drones discovered are part of a diabolical conspiracy by foreign spies.
Nonetheless, Trump has asserted that the administration knows more than they are disclosing.
“I can’t believe it’s the enemy because if it was, they’d blast it out, even if they were late,” the president-elect remarked Monday.
They know where it came from and where it went, but for some reason, they don’t want to remark, and I believe they’d be better off stating what it is,” he continued. “Our military knows, and our president knows, and for some reason, they wanna keep people in suspense.”
Drones have even been seen flying above Trump’s golf property in Bedminster.
“I will not spend the weekend at Bedminster. “I have decided to cancel my trip,” Trump joked Monday.
When asked whether he had gotten an intelligence briefing on the drones, Trump said, “I don’t wanna comment on that.”
This is hardly the president-elect’s first statement on the drone mystery.
“Let the people know right now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!” he said on his social media platform Truth Social on Friday.
Meanwhile, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and law enforcement officials have highlighted that drones do not seem to pose a danger to public safety, but several state and local politicians have advocated for stronger regulations on who may fly the unmanned aircraft.
NJ drones: How we got here
Dozens of witnesses reported seeing drones throughout the state starting in November.
They were originally sighted flying along the Raritan River, but sightings spread throughout the state, including near the Picatinny Arsenal and above President-elect Donald Trump’s golf property in Bedminster. The planes were also lately seen in coastal locations.
According to U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, a Coast Guard commanding officer informed him that a dozen drones closely monitored a Guard lifeboat between Barnegat Light and Island Beach State Park in Ocean County over the weekend.
Drones spotted over NYC?
Drone sightings have been reported in NYC. NYC Mayor Eric Adams said that the city is investigating and coordinating with New Jersey and federal agencies.
Drone detection system
Meanwhile, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul revealed on Sunday that the federal government would send a drone detecting equipment to the state to assist with investigations into recent drone sightings.
“In response to my requests for increased resources, our federal partners are delivering a cutting-edge drone detection technology to New York State. “This system will help state and federal law enforcement with their investigations,” Hochul said in a statement.
