Speaking to reporters at the White House Tuesday afternoon, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a message directly from President Donald Trump about excessive and unidentified drone flights in New Jersey. The flights have been going on for nearly six months.
“The drones over NJ were authorized by the FAA for research and various other reasons, and many were hobbyists and recreational. It got worse due to curiosity. This was not the enemy,” Leavitt said during her first official press briefing.
BREAKING: The White House Press Secretary just CONFIRMED that the drones in New Jersey were "not the enemy!"
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 28, 2025
THIS is what transparency looks like! pic.twitter.com/jGaVHpNszc
For months the Biden administration refused to explain the drone flights, driving speculation they could be from a foreign adversary.
"From very high sources, very qualified sources, very responsible sources, I'm going to tell you the real deal. Iran launched a mothership, probably about a month ago, that contains these drones...I'm going to tell you the deal, it's off the East Coast of America, they've launched drones. This is from high sources I don't same this lightly," Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew told Fox News in an interview. "Know that Iran made a deal with China to purchase drones, motherships and technology in order to go forward. The sources I have are good."
Former Biden National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby said in December the "drones" people are seeing and reporting are manned planes and there is no reason for alarm.
