The White House announced on Tuesday that drones flying above New Jersey during the last few months in 2024, attracting national attention, had been “authorized to fly” by the Federal Aviation Administration for “research and various other purposes.”
Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, told reporters at a recent press conference that Trump had instructed her to provide a public update on “the New Jersey drones.”
She said, “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 who enjoy flying drones. In time, it got worse due to curiosity. This was not the enemy.”
In a previous statement, the Biden administration said that drones seen flying over New Jersey had been flown legally. The FBI, FAA, Departments of Defense, and Homeland Security were all involved in the joint statement.
The statement stated, “Having closely examined the technical information and tips from citizens concerned, we estimate that the sightings so far include a mixture of lawful commercial, hobbyist, and law-enforcement drones as well as manned aircraft, helicopters, and stars reported mistakenly as drones.”
