President Joe Biden broke his silence regarding mysterious drone sightings on the East Coast, saying there is "no sense of danger" for Americans.
Biden spoke to reporters Tuesday before boarding Marine One on his way to Wilmington, Delaware, where he and his family held a memorial Wednesday for his first wife, Neilia, 30, and his youngest child Naomi, 1, who died Dec. 18, 1972, after the car Neilia was driving was broadsided by a tractor-trailer. His sons Beau and Hunter were also in the car and were gravely injured.
Biden's comments were his first since multiple reports of sightings in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania of flying objects. U.S. military officials have also confirmed reports of drones being spotted near and above bases in the United Kingdom and Germany. President-elect Donald Trump suggested last week the federal government must come clean to Americans about the sightings or shoot the drones down.
A reporter asked Biden to explain the sightings over New Jersey and "what's behind all of that?"
"Nothing nefarious, apparently, but they're checking it all out," Biden said according to a transcript of his remarks. "There's a — they think it's just one — there's a lot of drones authorized to be up there. And I think one started, and they all got — everybody wanted to get in the deal.
"But I'm — we're — we're following it closely. So far, no sense of a danger."
Biden administration officials have not given many definitive answers, other than to say the sightings are not always of drones and that they do not believe there is a threat to national security.
"Let me explain," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told CNN on Friday. "People are reporting sightings of drones. It is very common for individuals who think they see drones to actually see small aircraft, and we have a case of mistaken identity. Also, we have six different people reporting what they think is a drone, and all of a sudden we have reports of six drone sightings. So, there's some duplication.
"We haven't seen anything unusual. We know of no known threat. Secondly, we have gone to Congress repeatedly asking for more authority to counter drone activity. And we have also asked for more authority to give to the state and local officials under our supervision because … those authorities need to be expanded."