Biden Says There Is ‘Apparently’ Nothing ‘Nefarious’ About Mystery Drones

 President Joe Biden said Tuesday that there was “apparently” nothing “nefarious” about the mystery drones spotted throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern U.S., saying his administration was watching the situation closely. 

Biden spoke to reporters at the White House about the drones, suggesting that some were being flown by hobbyists. His comments come as lawmakers and the public demand answers about sightings reported over New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and other states. 

“Nothing nefarious, apparently, but they’re checking it all out,” he said, according to the New York Post. “We’re following it closely. So far, no sense of danger.”

“There’s a lot of drones authorized up there,” Biden added. “I think one started it and they all — everybody wanted to get in the deal.”

Biden’s comments came after Major General Pat Ryder told reporters that the drones were not part of a government test, as some have speculated. Ryder said there were many legitimate reasons for drones to be in the air. 

“Is it possible that some of those drones could be up to malign activity? It’s entirely possible, but the vast majority, that is not the case,” Ryder added, according to Bloomberg. 

On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, FAA, and Department of Defense released a joint statement saying they had not detected any threats to the public.

“Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones,” the statement said. “We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.”

President Joe Biden said Tuesday that there was “apparently” nothing “nefarious” about the mystery drones spotted throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern U.S., saying his administration was watching the situation closely. 

Biden spoke to reporters at the White House about the drones, suggesting that some were being flown by hobbyists. His comments come as lawmakers and the public demand answers about sightings reported over New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and other states. 

“Nothing nefarious, apparently, but they’re checking it all out,” he said, according to the New York Post. “We’re following it closely. So far, no sense of danger.”

“There’s a lot of drones authorized up there,” Biden added. “I think one started it and they all — everybody wanted to get in the deal.”

Biden’s comments came after Major General Pat Ryder told reporters that the drones were not part of a government test, as some have speculated. Ryder said there were many legitimate reasons for drones to be in the air. 

“Is it possible that some of those drones could be up to malign activity? It’s entirely possible, but the vast majority, that is not the case,” Ryder added, according to Bloomberg. 

On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, FAA, and Department of Defense released a joint statement saying they had not detected any threats to the public.

“Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones,” the statement said. “We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.”

 

President-elect Donald Trump said Monday that the federal government has not been forthcoming in telling the public what is going on. 

“The government knows what is happening,” he said. “Look, our military knows where they took off from — if it’s a garage, they can go right into that garage. They know where it came from and where it went, and for some reason they don’t want to comment.”

“And I think they’d be better off saying what it is. Our military knows and our president knows. And for some reason, they want to keep people in suspense,” Trump added.

President-elect Donald Trump said Monday that the federal government has not been forthcoming in telling the public what is going on. 

“The government knows what is happening,” he said. “Look, our military knows where they took off from — if it’s a garage, they can go right into that garage. They know where it came from and where it went, and for some reason they don’t want to comment.”

“And I think they’d be better off saying what it is. Our military knows and our president knows. And for some reason, they want to keep people in suspense,” Trump added.