US President-elect Donald Trump has stated that the “mysterious” drones observed flying over New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and other East Coast states should be shot down.
Earlier this week, an FBI official informed Congress that the agency had received over 3,000 public tips regarding sightings of unidentified UAVs in US airspace since mid-November.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Friday, Trump expressed his concerns, stating: “Mystery Drone sightings all over the country. Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge? I do not think so!”
He urged, “Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!”
The drone sightings have raised alarms among US lawmakers, including Congressman Jeff Van Drew, who claimed on Wednesday that he had received information from “high sources” indicating that the drones were launched from an Iranian ship in the Atlantic. The New Jersey representative also called for the UAVs to be taken down.
However, US Defense Department spokeswoman Sabrina Singh refuted Van Drew’s assertions on Wednesday, emphasizing that there was “no truth” to his claims. The Pentagon’s preliminary assessment indicates that “these are not drones coming from a foreign entity or adversary,” she noted.
Despite this, Van Drew maintained his position, telling Fox News the following day that “we are not being told the truth.” The Republican criticized the Pentagon for treating the American public as if they were uninformed.
On Thursday, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security announced that they are actively investigating the situation to determine whether the reported drone sightings are indeed drones, manned aircraft, or misidentified objects.
According to the two agencies, none of the reported UAV sightings have been confirmed through electronic detection. Their analysis of available video and photographic evidence has revealed that many of the alleged drones were actually legally operated manned aircraft.
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