Trump says the government is keeping people 'in suspense' about drones over NJ and the Philly suburbs

Alfred Lubrano, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Dec 16, 2024

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Saying the federal government and the military know the origin of the drones that are confounding residents from New Jersey, New York, and the Philadelphia suburbs, President-elect Donald Trump asserted on Monday that U.S. leaders won’t comment because ”for some reason, they want to keep people in suspense.”

Trump made his remarks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., just 36 days before he returns to the Oval Office.

He offered no proof of his statements, nor did he provide an explanation as to why President Joe Biden and the Pentagon would keep Americans in the dark about the nighttime flying objects that have puzzled and worried people watching them swoop and hover overhead.

“Look, the government knows what is happening. Look, our military knows where they took off from. If it’s a garage, they can go right into that garage,” Trump said.

“I think they’re better off saying what it is,” he said, adding that he’s canceling a planned trip to his club in New Jersey because the drones are “very close to Bedminster.”

Asked if he’d received an intelligence briefing on the drones, Trump responded, “I don’t want to comment on that.” He also concluded, “I can’t imagine it’s the enemy.”

On Sunday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos in an interview, “There’s no question people are seeing drones.”

Mayorkas added, “I want to assure the American public that we in the federal government have deployed additional resources, personnel, technology to assist the New Jersey State Police in addressing the drone sightings. … I want to assure the American public that we are on it.”

Prior to Mayorkas’ appearance, federal officials had said the drones were possibly manned aircraft and “inaccurate sightings.”

On Monday, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican who represents Bucks County, demanded that Mayorkas deploy drone-tracking detection systems “to understand the flight patterns and security risk posed” by the drones, which “present serious security concerns that need to be addressed immediately.”

In addition, Fitzpatrick asked for an immediate vote on a bill he’s cosponsoring known as the Safeguarding the Homeland from the Threats Posed by Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act. It calls for enhancing the federal government’s ability to protect Americans from the risks associated with unmanned aircraft systems.