President Donald Trump shares update on drones seen flying over New Jersey
President Donald Trump said some of the drones sighted over New Jersey last November were authorized to fly by the FAA
By Chris Pandolfo Fox News
Published January 28, 2025 1:48pm EST
The White House on Tuesday revealed that some of the drones seen flying over New Jersey and other parts of the country in November were authorized to be flown by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt shared an update "directly" from President Donald Trump that clarified the origin of the drones, which caused a national stir and captured headlines for weeks late last year.
"After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized by the FAA for research and various other reasons," Leavitt said.
In addition to those authorized by the FAA, other drones flown by hobbyists were sighted, and that number increased as curiosity about the phenomenon grew, the White House said.
"This was not the enemy," Leavitt said.
The drone sightings in November and December originally raised public concerns and even attracted the attention of the FBI.
"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.
The Federal Aviation Administration even issued temporary flight restrictions after the large number of sightings, prohibiting drone flights over parts of New Jersey.
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