Not the Enemy: Federal agencies clarify that mysterious drones spotted across New Jersey in December were authorized for research, debunking online rumors and foreign threat claims.
BY PC Bureau
Taking the lid off a major controversy, the White House on Wednesday confirmed that drones spotted flying over New Jersey and nearby states in December were authorized by federal regulators and posed no threat to national security.
President Donald Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, revealed during her first White House briefing that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had approved the drones for research. “This was not the enemy,” she said, adding that many drones belonged to local residents, and public curiosity only fueled online rumors.
The sightings of dozens of drones in December caused widespread panic and prompted calls for a temporary state of emergency. The FBI and military struggled to trace their origins. While New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy reassured the public there was no safety threat, Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia voiced skepticism, saying, “To state that there is no known or credible threat is incredibly misleading.”
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As the investigation unfolded, the FAA temporarily restricted drone flights in 22 cities across the region. The agency, which oversees over a million registered drones nationwide, later clarified that many sightings involved legal drones operated by hobbyists and law enforcement. In some cases, mistaken reports involved planes, helicopters, or even stars.
🚨🇺🇸 White House say all the Drones were not the enemy & were authorised to be flown by the Federal Aviation Administration for Research purposes.
Fine – now do all the Orbs? pic.twitter.com/jZMiyBoLZn
— Concerned Citizen (@BGatesIsaPyscho) January 28, 2025
Online speculation escalated, including unfounded claims by a Republican congressman that the drones originated from an “Iranian mothership” off the U.S. coast. However, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh reassured the public that the drones did not come from any foreign adversary.
Background of the Drone Panic
The drone frenzy began in December when media outlets reported numerous sightings over New Jersey and neighboring states. With over 5,000 tipoffs to the FBI, the situation prompted a national security investigation and temporary FAA flight restrictions.
Four federal agencies, including the FBI and FAA, later determined there was nothing anomalous about the drone sightings. They attributed the reports to legal drone use by hobbyists, law enforcement, and misunderstandings involving other airborne objects.
The FAA revealed that about 409,000 drones are registered for commercial use and 385,000 for recreational purposes in the U.S. Despite initial chaos, the White House’s confirmation of a federally approved research program eventually calmed public fears, quelling rumors of a hostile foreign entity.
