As local authorities, Congress and residents of New Jersey demand answers about a number of mystery drones flying over neighborhoods and sensitive areas, the White House is stepping in to try and explain what is going on.
According to National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby the "drones" people are seeing and reporting are manned planes and there is no reason for alarm.
🚨 John Kirby: Our investigation was unable to corroborate ANY OF THE REPORTS about the mysterious drone sightings.
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) December 12, 2024
"Many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully."
"There is no evidence of foreign based involvement..." pic.twitter.com/e1kua6MLS2
Kirby's remarks also dispute claims from Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew Wednesday that the drones were coming into New Jersey from the ocean and off of a mothership owned by Iran.
"From very high sources, very qualified sources, very responsible sources, I'm going to tell you the real deal. Iran launched a mothership, probably about a month ago, that contains these drones...I'm going to tell you the deal, it's off the East Coast of America, they've launched drones. This is from high sources I don't same this lightly," Van Drew said during an interview with Fox News Wednesday. "Know that Iran made a deal with China to purchase drones, motherships and technology in order to go forward. The sources I have are good."
"These drones should be shot down," Van Drew continued. "The military is on alert with this."
What we’ve uncovered is alarming—drones flying in from the direction of the ocean, possibly linked to a missing Iranian mothership.
— Congressman Jeff Van Drew (@Congressman_JVD) December 11, 2024
This is a national security crisis we cannot ignore.
Bring them down now. pic.twitter.com/YicWkcoJR1
But witnesses and local law enforcement have described the flying objects in a much different way.
Earlier in the day New Jersey Assemblyman Brian Bergen, a former U.S. Army Apache helicopter pilot, spoke to CNN and said he is "sick" of the kind of rhetoric Kirby espoused from the White House.
Today, a law enforcement official told me the unexplained drone sightings in New Jersey over the past few weeks don't pose a public safety threat or a national security threat.
— Pamela Brown (@PamelaBrownCNN) December 12, 2024
NJ Assemblyman @votebergen responds: "I'm so sick of that stupid rhetoric... I'm a former attack… pic.twitter.com/iEasNpRaqn
Watch this interview!!! Everyone should be pissed!@GovMurphy @NJOHSP your efforts to deal with the drone issue is amateur hour and your lack of competence is putting our citizens at risk!! https://t.co/EonR26Lom3
— Assemblyman Bergen (@votebergen) December 11, 2024
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security, in addition to the military, are looking into the situation and still giving few answers to the public.
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