'Shoot them down': Trump targets Biden govt over drone sightings after White House says 'no security threat'

US President-elect Donald Trump suggested that officials should shoot down the mysterious drone hovering over the state of New Jersey. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump slammed the Biden administration over the issue and urged authorities to act swiftly.

The mysterious drone hovering over the state has not only spooked New Jersey residents but also sparked an outcry among lawmakers. However, both the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) made it clear that the drone doesn’t pose a “security threat”.

“Mystery Drone sightings all over the Country. Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge? I don’t think so! Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!! DJT” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Friday. For days, residents have shared multiple grainy videos and images of the drone on social media.

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FBI and DHS dismiss the drone as ‘security threat’

On Thursday, the FBI and DHS issued a joint statement suggesting that at least some sightings are probably regular aeroplanes. The agencies maintained that “it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully” adding that there is “no known malicious activity occurring in New Jersey.”

Earlier this week, the Secret Service denied reports that the drone belonged to the agency. On Friday, John Kirby, the White House national security communications adviser, told Fox News, that the White House “don’t have enough conclusions” to take down one of the craft.” “We’re gonna share as much as we can. I understand it’s frustrating for folks, it’s frustrating for us,” Kirby said.

States like New York and Maryland also reported drone sightings, sparking concerns among lawmakers. Senator Richard Blumenthal, chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee’s investigations panel, said on Friday that he has requested a briefing from the FAA before Congress leaves for the holidays.

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Lawmakers raise concerns

Democratic New Jersey Senator Andy Kim wrote on Friday that overnight, he and local police had gone out looking for drones — and they often saw five to seven lights at a time that were low and “not associated with aircraft” on a flight tracking app. “This has gone on for weeks. It’s hard to understand how with the technology we have we aren’t able to track these devices to determine origin and this makes me much more concerned about our capabilities more broadly when it comes to drone detection and countermeasures,” he wrote in the post.

This has gone on for weeks. It’s hard to understand how with the technology we have we aren’t able to track these devices to determine origin and this makes me much more concerned about our capabilities more broadly when it comes to drone detection and counter measures. 10/11

— Andy Kim (@AndyKimNJ) December 13, 2024

I wrote to @POTUS to express my concerns about reports of unmanned aircraft systems in and around NJ airspace.
 
Since existing laws limit the ability of state and local law enforcement to counter UAS, more federal resources are needed to understand what is behind this activity. pic.twitter.com/mkeUeW7ury

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) December 13, 2024

New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, mentioned that he has sent a letter to US President Joe Biden urging him to direct federal agencies to work together “until they uncover answers as to what is behind the [unmanned aircraft systems] sightings.” Meanwhile, New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul wrote on X that residents in her state had spotted drones this week: “At this time, there’s no evidence that these drones pose a public safety or national security threat.” She noted that the state of New York is coordinating with the FBI and DHS.