Trump proposes intercepting planes over New Jersey amid ongoing worries
On Friday, President-elect Donald Trump took to social media to suggest that the craft spotted hovering in various areas of New Jersey should be shot down, amidst ongoing calls from lawmakers for clarification on the situation.
TroibNews 
President-elect Donald Trump suggested on Friday that officials should take action against aircraft hovering over homes in New Jersey that have unsettled residents and led lawmakers to call for explanations.
“Mystery Drone sightings all over the Country. 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,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
In recent days, residents have shared grainy videos on social media of flashing lights in the sky, which they believe are some type of flying craft. However, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI stated they have not been able to validate those reports. On Thursday, these agencies indicated that some of the sightings might actually be regular airplanes.
In a joint statement on Thursday, the FBI and DHS noted, “it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully,” and emphasized that there is "no known malicious activity occurring in New Jersey." They acknowledged, though, that the reported sightings in the area "highlight the insufficiency of current authorities" regarding who has the power to take down such aircraft. Earlier in the week, the Secret Service denied any association with the reported drones.
John Kirby, the White House national security communications adviser, provided an update on Fox News just before Trump's comments, stating that “we don’t have enough conclusions” to justify taking down one of the aircraft. “We’re gonna share as much as we can. I understand it’s frustrating for folks, it’s frustrating for us,” Kirby said.
Reports of similar phenomena have emerged from other states, including New York and Maryland.
On Friday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee’s investigations panel, requested a briefing from the FAA before Congress adjourns for the holidays. In his request, he stated that the briefing should encompass “all details available regarding these drones as to ownership, operation, impacts on aviation, national security, and privacy.” He addressed his letter to the heads of the FAA, FBI, DHS, and the Defense Department.
The FAA, FBI, and Defense Department did not immediately respond to requests for comments on Blumenthal’s letter. In a statement, DHS noted it would reply directly to the lawmaker and would continue to respond “appropriately to Congressional oversight.”
Sen. Andy Kim also took to social media on Friday, reporting that he and local police had been searching for drones and observed multiple lights that were low and “not associated with aircraft” according to a flight tracking app. He described seeing small groups of two to four drones that made sudden maneuvers uncharacteristic of planes.
“This has gone on for weeks,” Kim wrote. “It’s hard to understand how with the technology we have we aren’t able to track these devices to determine origin and this makes me much more concerned about our capabilities more broadly when it comes to drone detection and counter measures.”
New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy shared a letter on social media, dated Thursday, which he had sent to President Joe Biden. In it, he urged the president to direct federal agencies to collaborate until they uncover the reasons behind the sightings. Murphy expressed encouragement that there was a growing consensus in Congress to expand counter-drone authorities to state and local law enforcement.
In a similar vein, New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul mentioned on social media that residents in her state had reported seeing drones, stating, “At this time, there’s no evidence that these drones pose a public safety or national security threat.” She noted that her state is coordinating with the FBI and DHS.
Former Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan expressed his observation on social media about seeing “dozens of large drones” over Davidsonville, Maryland, and shared that he had personally witnessed the activity for about 45 minutes. He commented that the public is “growing increasingly concerned and frustrated with the complete lack of transparency and the dismissive attitude of the federal government.”
In addition to reports from the Coast Guard about multiple low-altitude aircraft near one of its vessels close to Island Beach State Park last weekend, New Jersey’s Naval Weapons Station Earle has also reported several sightings, as documented by ABC News on Friday.
Ian Smith for TROIB News
“Mystery Drone sightings all over the Country. 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,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
In recent days, residents have shared grainy videos on social media of flashing lights in the sky, which they believe are some type of flying craft. However, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI stated they have not been able to validate those reports. On Thursday, these agencies indicated that some of the sightings might actually be regular airplanes.
In a joint statement on Thursday, the FBI and DHS noted, “it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully,” and emphasized that there is "no known malicious activity occurring in New Jersey." They acknowledged, though, that the reported sightings in the area "highlight the insufficiency of current authorities" regarding who has the power to take down such aircraft. Earlier in the week, the Secret Service denied any association with the reported drones.
John Kirby, the White House national security communications adviser, provided an update on Fox News just before Trump's comments, stating that “we don’t have enough conclusions” to justify taking down one of the aircraft. “We’re gonna share as much as we can. I understand it’s frustrating for folks, it’s frustrating for us,” Kirby said.
Reports of similar phenomena have emerged from other states, including New York and Maryland.
On Friday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee’s investigations panel, requested a briefing from the FAA before Congress adjourns for the holidays. In his request, he stated that the briefing should encompass “all details available regarding these drones as to ownership, operation, impacts on aviation, national security, and privacy.” He addressed his letter to the heads of the FAA, FBI, DHS, and the Defense Department.
The FAA, FBI, and Defense Department did not immediately respond to requests for comments on Blumenthal’s letter. In a statement, DHS noted it would reply directly to the lawmaker and would continue to respond “appropriately to Congressional oversight.”
Sen. Andy Kim also took to social media on Friday, reporting that he and local police had been searching for drones and observed multiple lights that were low and “not associated with aircraft” according to a flight tracking app. He described seeing small groups of two to four drones that made sudden maneuvers uncharacteristic of planes.
“This has gone on for weeks,” Kim wrote. “It’s hard to understand how with the technology we have we aren’t able to track these devices to determine origin and this makes me much more concerned about our capabilities more broadly when it comes to drone detection and counter measures.”
New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy shared a letter on social media, dated Thursday, which he had sent to President Joe Biden. In it, he urged the president to direct federal agencies to collaborate until they uncover the reasons behind the sightings. Murphy expressed encouragement that there was a growing consensus in Congress to expand counter-drone authorities to state and local law enforcement.
In a similar vein, New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul mentioned on social media that residents in her state had reported seeing drones, stating, “At this time, there’s no evidence that these drones pose a public safety or national security threat.” She noted that her state is coordinating with the FBI and DHS.
Former Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan expressed his observation on social media about seeing “dozens of large drones” over Davidsonville, Maryland, and shared that he had personally witnessed the activity for about 45 minutes. He commented that the public is “growing increasingly concerned and frustrated with the complete lack of transparency and the dismissive attitude of the federal government.”
In addition to reports from the Coast Guard about multiple low-altitude aircraft near one of its vessels close to Island Beach State Park last weekend, New Jersey’s Naval Weapons Station Earle has also reported several sightings, as documented by ABC News on Friday.
Ian Smith for TROIB News
