Tipsheet

U.S. Intel Claims Chinese Spy Balloons Flew Over the U.S. Several Times But Went 'Undetected'

U.S. Intelligence admits that Chines surveillance balloons allegedly crossed over the United States several times in the past, however, they went “undetected.”

According to U.S. officials, a Chinese spy balloon allegedly flew over the country four months ago but crashed near Hawaii. 

A senior Biden Administration official said that Chinese spy balloons flew over the country at least three times during the Trump Administration as well in parts of Texas and Florida.

However, former Trump officials debunked the Biden Administration's claims that Chinese surveillance balloons flew over the nation, telling Fox News that it “never happened.” 

“U.S. intelligence, not the Biden administration" assesses that "PRC government surveillance balloons transited the continental U.S. briefly at least three times during the prior administration and once that we know of at the beginning of this administration, but never for this duration of time,” the official said.

The official claimed that the spy balloons are “part of a larger pattern,” that is often undertaken at the direction of the People’s Liberation Army.”

“These balloons are all part of a PRC fleet of balloons developed to conduct surveillance operations, which have also violated the sovereignty of other countries," the official continued. 

Officials close to the Trump Administration said that the Biden White House is spreading disinformation and that Beijing respected Trump “greatly” under his leadership. 

“It never happened with us under the Trump administration and if it did, we would have shot it down immediately,” Trump said in response to the Biden Administration’s claims. 

Trump added that the Biden clan is “incompetent” and “they look so bad, as usual.”

Former Trump White House national security adviser John Bolton also rebuked the claims, saying that he never heard of anything like this happening under Trump.