Coast Guard Member Challenges White House Over Drone Incident Near New JerseyA Coast Guard member is pushing back against the White House’s dismissal of a recent incident involving a swarm of drones that reportedly followed a Coast Guard vessel off the coast of New Jersey.
The anonymous crew member, speaking exclusively to the New York Post, refuted claims from National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, who downplayed the sightings.
The incident occurred at around 9 p.m. and involved up to 30 drones, according to the Coast Guard member. “The drones appeared out of nowhere,” he said, explaining that they followed the vessel for approximately 15 minutes.
Celebrate Trump’s Historic 2024 Victory with the Exclusive Trump 47th President Collection!
The drones reportedly mirrored the vessel’s movements, adjusting their course as the boat shifted direction.
“I’m terrible with measurements,” the crew member said, “but [the swarm] was about 80 to 100 feet above us. They had four propellers, were seven feet across, and had flashing lights—green, red, and white, like you’ve seen.”
The drones reportedly kept pace with the boat at a speed of about 20 miles per hour before climbing higher, turning toward the shore, and disappearing out of sight.
White House NSC spokesperson John Kirby dismissed concerns about the incident, claiming there was no evidence of drones in the area.
“We have not identified anything anomalous or any national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the Northeast. The work continues,” Kirby said.
John Kirby on drone activity in and around New Jersey: “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… We have not been able to…corroborate any of the reported visual sightings.” pic.twitter.com/xfxFaJQUaN
— CSPAN (@cspan) December 12, 2024
He added that forensic investigations confirmed the Coast Guard likely mistook incoming airliners for drones.
However, the Coast Guard member rejected those explanations, calling them “insulting.”
“It’s implying we’re making sh-t up,” the crew member said. “When the ones making up sh-t are down in Washington, D.C. Commercial airplanes don’t move like that. I’ve been out there [on the water] when planes were coming in for landings in New York, and trust me, you can tell the difference. We’re not idiots; we know what drones look and sound like.”
The crew member described the drones as advanced and not similar to commercially available models.
“These weren’t the types of drones you can buy at the store. These were government drones.”
Referring to comments made by Kirby and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the member stated, “I don’t care what Kirby or Mayorkas say; they’re full of sh-t.”
Despite the Biden administration’s dismissal of the drone sightings, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has implemented a temporary ban on drone operations over parts of New Jersey until January 17.
Finally, the FAA has banned drones over parts of New Jersey, threatening “deadly force” for “imminent security threat.”
About time! pic.twitter.com/raW5HtpHDa
— 🇺🇸ProudArmyBrat (@leslibless) December 19, 2024
The ban covers a one-mile radius around specified areas for security reasons.
Additionally, officials have warned that drones posing an imminent threat could be shot down.
The FAA’s response has raised questions, as the White House insists there is no national security risk.
Critics argue the administration’s actions contradict its statements.
Journalist Michael Shellenberger has expressed skepticism about the White House’s dismissal of the incidents, noting that it would be impossible to investigate all the reported sightings thoroughly.
Shellenberger highlighted the frequency of drone activity near military bases as particularly concerning.
The DOD-FBI-DHS-FAA say they thoroughly investigated all ~6,000 drone reports, but there’s no way they could have. They’re lying because, apparently, they don’t want to talk about why they can’t control the airspace above either our military bases or our residential areas. pic.twitter.com/bfNjphFhyg
— Michael Shellenberger (@shellenberger) December 17, 2024
The Coast Guard member’s account adds to the growing debate over the nature and origin of these drone sightings, raising questions about their potential implications for national security.
While the Biden-Harris administration attempts to downplay the incidents, concerns among military personnel and experts continue to mount.
.
