White House Press Secretary Says New Jersey Drones “Were Not The Enemy”
on Jan 28, 2025
Table of Contents
- Late Last Year, Mysterious Drones Sparked Concern When They Were Spotted In New Jersey, New York, And Other States
- President Trump’s Press Secretary Makes First Statement About Drones
- During His First Day In Office, President Trump Told The American People He Wanted To Find Out The Truth About The Drones
Late Last Year, Mysterious Drones Sparked Concern When They Were Spotted In New Jersey, New York, And Other States
In November 2024, countless citizens spotted drones in New Jersey, New York, and surrounding areas. Not knowing who they belonged to, it incited a nation-wide panic.
The drones were around for weeks, and the New York Stewart International Airport even closed its runways for an hour on December 13th “due to multiple reported drone sightings near and over the airport.”
Several senators and other public representatives called on the military to shoot them down, but that would have likely caused more problems, not to mention it is illegal to do so.
At the time, the White House said there was “no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus.”
President Trump’s Press Secretary Makes First Statement About Drones
The very first press briefing of President Trump’s second term was led by press secretary Karoline Leavitt. During the briefing, Leavitt made the new administration’s first statement on the New Jersey drones.
“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 initial panic was brought on by misinformation and conspiracies that several sources perpetuated. A New Jersey representative even implied that the drones were from Iran, though the Department of Defense denied this claim immediately.
During His First Day In Office, President Trump Told The American People He Wanted To Find Out The Truth About The Drones
As he was signing a flurry of executive orders, President Trump was asked about the drones spotted in New Jersey and surrounding areas.
“I would like to find out what it is and tell the people. In fact, I’d like to do that,” he said before asking an aide with him to find out what the drones were.
Eight days later, we have our answer. Watch press secretary Leavitt speak about the drones in the video below.
