US President-elect Donald Trump said Friday that the federal government knows the truth behind a spate of mysterious drone sightings seen in several parts of the country, but is refusing to divulge the information.
"Mystery Drone sightings all over the Country. Can this really be happening without our government's knowledge. I don't think so! Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!! DJT," he wrote on his proprietary social media network.
The Biden administration said it does not know the exact nature of the drones, but said Thursday it has no indication they are the work of a foreign power.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said a federal investigation of visual images has so far determined that "many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully." There are no confirmed reports of the drones entering restricted airspace.
"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," he told reporters.
"The Department of Homeland Security and the 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," he added.
Kirby said that "very sophisticated electronic detection technologies" provided by federal agencies have not been able to corroborate any of the reported sightings.
New Jersey Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia wrote Wednesday on X that the first sighting was reported Nov. 18, and the drones "operate in a coordinated manner," oftentimes flying with lights turned off.
She said the aircraft, some of which are up to 6 feet (2 meters) in diameter, "appear to avoid detection by traditional methods," including via helicopters and radio frequencies, and do not appear to be flown by hobbyists.
Authorities do not know where the drones are taking off from, or where they are landing.
