EXCLUSIVE: Donald Trump Fuels Mass Monitoring Conspiracy By Admitting Drones that Plagued Skies of U.S. Were 'Conducting Research' — But WEREN'T the Enemy
President Trump has claimed the drones spotted above New Jersey are 'not the enemy' during the first press briefing of his second administration.
Jan. 29 2025, Published 11:03 a.m. ET
President Trump has claimed the mysterious drones over New Jersey were "not the enemy", fueling talk of a mass monitoring conspiracy.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the business mogul-turned politician briefed reporters the drones were authorized to conduct "research," which was confirmed during the first press briefing of his second administration.
Trump's explanation has done little to play down sinister fears behind the drone sightings.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had been authorized to fly the drones for "research and various other reasons."
Leavitt added many of the drones were also "hobbyists, recreational and private individuals that enjoy flying drones" and claims that "in time, it got worse due to curiosity."
She also said the information had come "directly from the president of the United States that was just shared with me in the Oval Office."
But the White House's vague explanation has raised even more questions, especially after the FAA – which investigated the sightings after receiving reports from "concerned citizens" – failed to previously mention the alleged research.
Taking to social media, some users expressed their concern about the lack of clarity surrounding the drones.
One wrote: "You mean 'research and other various reasons' isn't a real answer from the Trump party? Again, no real answers, everyone's still pretty much just as clueless as to why the drones are flying."
Another added: "Thought Trump was getting to the bottom of those drones? He's such a liar."
A third chimed in: "Why is Trump so secretive on the drones. We get why he was so secretive about Stormy Daniels, by why the drones?"
And a fourth commented: "The question I have is are they lying to Trump? Main reason is, why haven't all the operators of the drones stepped forward and said who was flying them? A little sketchy to me."
The FAA last month attributed the sightings to "lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, law enforcement drones, manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones."
Trump claims the drones were conducting research – yet rumors of a mass monitoring conspiracy continue to thrive.
The agency then issued a temporary ban on flying drones, but as the sightings continued, warned that "deadly force" could be used against drones that present an "imminent security threat".
Leavitt's statements come months after the first drones appeared in November, soaring above military bases and Trump's golf course in Bedminster and sparking fears of foreign threats watching American citizens.
Leavitt assured the public "this was not the enemy," but did not disclose who was using the drones or what type of research was being conducted.
"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, reading Trump's dictation at her first briefing.
"Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational and private individuals that enjoy flying drones. In time, it got worse due to curiosity. This was not the enemy."
Trump promised to get to the bottom of the drone sightings during his campaign to win control of the White House.
The Biden administration said in December there was no evidence of anything nefarious with the sightings, after they were linked to Iran and China, but claimed it was unable to verify any of the thousands of reports of craft.
Tuesday's announcement, while ambiguous, delivers on Trump's promise before the election to disclose the source of the drones when he became president.
On his first day back in the Oval Office, Trump said he would start investigating the mysterious drone activity and put his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, on the case.
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"I would like to find out what it is and tell the people. In fact, I'd like to do that," he said.
"Could we find out what that was, Susie? Why don't we find out immediately?"
Concern about unexplained UFOs began in mid-November when "car-sized" drones were spotted in Morris County, which was followed by thousands of sightings from nearby areas.
The first video footage showed drones with green and red lights on their wings and multiple eyewitnesses described them as large as a small car.
Officials held several congressional meetings in December to discuss the strange sightings, with the FBI first saying it received more than 3,000 reports in a week.
