The White House on Tuesday announced that the drones flying over New Jersey in the last few months of 2024, drawing national attention, were "authorized to be flown" by the Federal Aviation Administration "for research and various other reasons."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters during a press conference that Trump directed her to share a public update "on the New Jersey drones."
She said, "After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons. Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational and private individuals that enjoy flying drones. In time, it got worse due to curiosity. This was not the enemy."
The Biden administration previously said in a joint multiagency statement from the FBI, FAA, and the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security that the drones spotted flying over New Jersey were being lawfully flown.
"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," the statement read.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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