NJ Lawmaker Asked for His Reaction to Kirby's Drone Claim. He Didn't Mince Words.

Leah Barkoukis | December 13, 2024 9:30 AM

A New Jersey state assemblyman blasted national security spokesman John Kirby’s explanation for the mysterious drones that have been flying over New Jersey and New York since November.

During a press conference on Thursday, Kirby dismissed the widespread concern from Republican and Democratic lawmakers as well as residents in the states.

“Using very sophisticated electronic detection technologies…we have not been able to…corroborate any of the reported visual sightings. To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears many of the reports of sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully,” Kirby said. “We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus.”

During an appearance on Fox News' “America Reports,” host John Roberts played the clip of Kirby’s remarks and asked Republican Assemblyman Brian Bergen for his reaction.

“That guy – that guy is an idiot,” said Bergen, a former U.S. Army helicopter pilot. “That I can tell you right now. Because the colonel of the state police told the members of the state legislature that one of his helicopters was hovering above a six-foot-wide drone, and he landed that helicopter because he felt unsafe for his pilots. I am a former Apache helicopter pilot and a member of the New Jersey state legislature, and I have seen these things in my own community. That guy, I don’t even know his name, who was on here a couple of minutes ago, is a fool if he is going to say there is no issue.”