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New Jersey drone sightings: Trump White House says 'This was not the enemy'

By and
Updated  January 28, 2025 2:07pm EST
New Jersey
FOX 29 Philadelphia

NJ drone sightings mystery solved, according to the White House: Senator reacts

New Jersey State Senator Jon Bramnick reacts after the White House debunked the rash of drone sightings in and around the New Jersey area.

The Brief

    • White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the mysterious drones spotted over New Jersey last year were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and other reasons, including hobbyists.
    • Leavitt said the drones were "not the enemy" after some in Washington speculated that the drones could be linked to Iran.
    • Mysterious drone sighting in New Jersey began in November and grew in numbers, causing the FAA to issue a temporary flight restriction for parts of the state.

PHILADELPHIA - White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt provided an update Tuesday on mysterious drone sightings over New Jersey that gained national attention. 

Leavitt said an investigation concluded that the drones were "authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons." 

Officials in December temporarily banned drone flights in more than 20 parts of New Jersey as they worked to study the origins of the mysterious drones. 

What they're saying:

Trump White House gives update on New Jersey drones

In the first White House press briefing of the second Trump Administration, Karoline Leavitt shared an update on the mysterious drone sightings that plagued New Jersey over the past few months.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, in her first briefing with the media, provided an update from President Trump that all but closed the book on the drone mystery.

"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," Leavitt said. "Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational, and private individuals that enjoy flying drones."

As the number of drone sightings grew across New Jersey and into parts of Pennsylvania, speculation about their origins ran wild in the media and on the internet. Rep. Jeff Van Drew cited government sources that claimed the drones originated from an "Iranian mothership" anchored off the east coast.

"This was not the enemy," Leavitt told the press Tuesday.

FOX 29's Steve Keeley spoke with New Jersey State Senator Jon Bramnick about the White House's update, and he described the whole ordeal as ‘embarrassing.’

"First they told us the federal government 'we weren't seeing what we were seeing. Alright OK, so that was a lie," said  Senator Jon Bramnick. "Then they started to have classified briefings about something that wasn't anything. That was ridiculous."

The backstory:

An influx of drone sightings in parts of New Jersey, including Trump's club in Bedminster, left residents and Trump searching for answers.

The drone sightings in November and December originally raised public concerns and even attracted the attention of the FBI. The FAA even issued temporary flight restrictions after the large number of sightings, prohibiting drone flights over parts of New Jersey.

Those areas included the cities of Camden, Burlington, Gloucester City, Winslow Township, Evesham, Westampton, Hamilton, and Hancock's Bridge in Lower Alloways Township in Salem County.

"The FBI Newark, NJ State Police, and NJ Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness are asking for the public to report any information related to the recent sightings of possible drones flying in several areas along the Raritan River," a Dec. 3 FBI statement noted.

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