last Wednesday House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., rejected the Biden-Harris administration’s response to drone sightings in New Jersey. It decried how federal officials had not provided clear answers to Congress about their origins.
In his Fox News appearance, Johnson agreed that the White House and the broader U.S. government do not appear to be concerned about increased visibility in New Jersey and elsewhere. in the northeast
“Listen, I am the council president. I share the same frustration that you do and we all do. We don’t have the answer. The administration did not provide it,” Johnson said.
Johnson said he held a meeting last week with officials from the Defense Department. the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, and “answers have not yet been released.”
Trump said the government ‘Know what’s going on’ with mysterious drones
President of the House of Representatives. Mike Johnson (R-LA), left, speaks as House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) listens during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on December 1. September 17, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“They just said, don’t worry, it’s not a foreign agency. No offshore vessels do this. And they didn’t collect any data. ‘Okay, so what is it?'” Johnson said.
“You hear Mayorkas, which no one believes. We accused him in the House, as you know, the DHS secretary, he said in an interview a few days ago. Because they changed the regulations to allow drones to fly at night. That’s why Now everyone has seen them. They’ve always been there. I mean, people aren’t buying the answer,” Johnson said. “We are digging deeper to find out. And we are calling on the administration to do its job. We must protect Americans. Protect our intelligence agencies Including our information and everything else, we’ll get to the bottom of it, but we don’t have the answers yet.”
Johnson was referring to how Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC News on Monday that thousands of drones fly every day in the United States and that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in September 2023 “changes the rules to allow… Drones can fly at night. And that might be one reason why people are seeing more drones than before. Especially from morning until night.”
Mayorkas also said it is “important” for Congress to expand authority for state and local governments to counter drone activity. “Under the supervision of the central government”
Johnson responds to President Biden He told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that “Nothing bad” will happen to these drones. And until now “There is still no sense of danger.”
“This is why we need Donald J. Trump back in the White House to bring a steady hand at the wheel and a strong Commander in Chief,” Johnson said. “He probably already has the answer. He will certainly deliver for the American people and members of Congress. Therefore, leadership is important. That is why he received the mandate. That is why Americans cannot wait for an America First term. to get started and we can’t wait.”
Federal officials said Monday evening that The reported drone sightings have been identified as legitimate commercial drones. hobby drone and law enforcement drones The same is true for controlled airplanes, helicopters, and even stars. Officials said the assessment was based on technical information and tips.
A drone was seen over Ridge, New York on Thursday evening, Dec. 1, Sept. 12, 2024. (Grant Parpan/Newsday RM via Getty Images)
The House Intelligence Committee has informed federal law enforcement and intelligence officials about the drones. During a closed meeting on Tuesday, Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., told CNN.
The official told the commission that There is no evidence of a public safety or national security threat, Himes said.
Democratic New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said Monday that Drone detection equipment provided by the federal government provides little new information. He declined to describe the device. Except to say it’s powerful and might even disable drones. Although he said that’s not legal on U.S. territories. Murphy called on Congress to give states more power. To deal with more drones
Trump discusses mysterious drones, TIKTOK BAN, RFK JR and more in hour-long press conference
Meanwhile, the FBI and New Jersey police warn against using lasers to point at suspicious drones. This is because airplane pilots are hit in the eye more often. Officials also said they were concerned people might fire weapons at the controlled aircraft, which they mistook for a drone.
John Kirby, White House national security spokesman Said on Monday that The federal government has not yet determined a public safety or national security risk from any drone sightings. in the northeast It said officials believe they are legally flown drones, planes or stars.
“There are more than 1 million drones legally registered with the Federal Aviation Administration. Here in the United States,” Kirby said, “and there are thousands of commercial, hobby, and law enforcement drones legally flying in the skies every day. That is the ecosystem we are dealing with.”
The federal government has deployed personnel and advanced technology to investigate reports in New Jersey and other states. And it is evaluating each tip that citizens report, he said.
One social media user said she filmed several drones flying over Fairfield. Connecticut on Thursday night (Lucy Biggers)
About 100 of the more than 5,000 drone sightings reported to the FBI in recent weeks have been reported. It was considered reliable enough to warrant further investigation. According to a joint statement from DHS, FBI, FAA and the Department of Defense.
Speculation takes place online. Some have expressed concern that the drones may be part of a nefarious plan by foreign agents.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Defense Ministry spokesman Pol. Col. Pat Rider said it was unlikely the drones were involved in intelligence gathering. Considering their loudness and brightness, He reiterated on Tuesday that the reported drones were not operated by the Ministry of Defence. When asked if military contractors might operate drones in the New Jersey area, Ryder rejected the idea, saying, “There is no military action. No military drones or conduct experiments in this corridor.”
Ryder said additional drone detection technology has been moved to some installations. Including Picatinny Arsenal and at the Earl Naval Weapons Station. in new jersey which has also reported drones
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
