New jersey's drone mystery solved, white house announces

New Jersey’s Drone Mystery Solved, White House Announces

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1 min read
January 28, 2025

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump, through White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, addressed the recent spate of drone sightings over New Jersey’s shoreline, emphasizing that the activity was not cause for alarm.

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, relaying the president’s remarks during a briefing. The clarification comes amid growing public concern and speculation about the unusual drone activity reported in recent weeks.

Leavitt said she was briefed before Tuesday’s press briefing by President Trump regarding the New Jersey drones.

“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,” she said. “Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational, and private individuals who enjoy flying drones. In time, it got worse due to curiosity.”

“This was not the enemy,” Trump told Leavitt.

The research drones were spotted over the Atlantic Ocean, fueling new speculation that they were tied to off-shore wind energy or other forms of GIS mapping, but that cannot be confirmed at this time, only that they were FAA-approved for research. The White House did not disclose who was operating the approved drone traffic.

The increased sightings have been attributed, in part, to a surge in hobbyists operating drones to investigate the mysterious flights themselves, creating further confusion in the airspace. Local authorities have confirmed receiving numerous reports from residents, reiterating that the activity poses no immediate threat.

The Federal Aviation Administration has not issued any information related to the incidents.

No further details were provided about the specific research activities taking plac.

Early on during Dronegate, several leaders suspected foreign influence, such as an “Iranian Mothership” or “Chinese Drone Carrier” operations off the New Jersey coast. Those claims have been debunked.

Trump had previously said that had the drones been foreign actors, they would have been destroyed.

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

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