By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – The White House claims there is no evidence that reported drone sightings in the U.S. state of New Jersey pose a national security risk despite being spotted over sensitive sites such as the golf course of U.S. President-elect Donald J. Trump, a military facility, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Two Republican congressmen from New Jersey, Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew, had urged the military to shoot down the mysterious nighttime drones appearing above New Jersey.
Yet U.S. President Joe Biden’s national security communications adviser, John Kirby, said many of the purported drones are lawfully operated manned aircraft. “We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat or have a foreign nexus,” Kirby told reporters at the daily White House press briefing. He spoke amid known concern among U.S. officials about potential Russian and Chinese spying activities in the United States or attack drones.
“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the [Federal Bureau of Investigation] FBI are investigating these sightings. And they’re working closely with state and local law enforcement to provide resources using numerous detection methods to better understand their origin,” Kirby stressed.
“Using very sophisticated electronic detection technologies provided by federal authorities, we have not been able to, and neither have state or local law enforcement authorities, corroborate any of the reported visual sightings,” he stressed.
“To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully,” Kirby proclaimed.
“The United States Coast Guard is providing support to the state of New Jersey and has confirmed that there is no evidence of any foreign-based involvement from coastal vessels. And importantly, there are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted airspace,” he noticed.
DANGEROUS OBJECTS?
Yet his statement seemed at odds with remarks by Coast Guard Luitenant Luke Pinneo, who said Wednesday that “multiple low-altitude aircraft were observed in the vicinity of one of our vessels near Island Beach State Park.”
Additionally, Worthy News reported that flying objects six feet (two meters) in diameter were initially spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster.
Most of the drones were viewed along coastal areas, and some were recently reported flying over a large reservoir in Clinton. Sightings also have been reported in neighboring states.
Brian Harrell, a former DHS assistant secretary for infrastructure protection under the Trump administration, said in published remarks that Kirby missed a key opportunity to develop trust and calm the public.
“The government has a unique opportunity to build trust with the American public here, and they are fumbling the ball,” Harrell said.
“Yes, additional authorities are needed. However, we have the tools and radar capabilities today to understand the details of these drones. While I don’t think foreign nations are involved, it’s clear to me that the government or contractors are testing capabilities,” he added.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
Six Democratic lawmakers with military or intelligence backgrounds have ignited a political firestorm after releasing a video urging U.S. service members and intelligence personnel to “refuse illegal orders,” drawing sharp reactions from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
The White House was preparing Friday for a highly visible meeting between Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City, and U.S. President Donald J. Trump amid growing concerns over possible federal troop or National Guard deployments to the city. The made-for-television get-together comes as the president links the influx of migrants — many of them arriving undocumented, or in his words “illegally” — and rising crime in America’s largest city to what he describes as weakened local governance.
A Russian oil tanker under U.S. sanctions made a dramatic U-turn on its way to Venezuela after a U.S. warship appeared in its path near the country’s coast, Worthy News learned early Friday.
A man has been charged with federal terrorism offenses after allegedly dousing a woman with liquid and setting her on fire aboard a Chicago subway train, authorities confirmed Friday, in a case that revived concerns about transit safety amid rising violence in U.S. public-transport systems.
Capitol Hill — the U.S. seat of Congress and legislative center of American government — faced fresh drama Thursday when a small electrical fire broke out in the underground subway system connecting the Rayburn House Office Building to the U.S. Capitol, forcing evacuations.
U.S. President Donald J. Trump met Thursday with a group of freed Israeli hostages and their loved ones at the White House, praising the survivors as “heroes” and vowing continued support for efforts to return remaining captives held in Gaza.
Ukraine’s embattled President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he will negotiate with U.S. President Donald J. Trump over a controversial U.S.-backed peace proposal, despite senior figures in Kyiv calling the plan “absurd” and “unacceptable.”