Donald Trump claimed on Friday, December 13, that government officials know more about the strange drone sightings in the Northeast than they are revealing. He added that in case they don’t, the flying objects need to be shot down.

“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. 

Drone sightings cause concern

The drone sightings have caused concern among lawmakers, with many being worried about a threat from adversaries like Iran on American shores. However, the Pentagon has dismissed claims that any foreign country is behind the drones. The flying objects were spotted near US military installations in New Jersey. Besides Trump, many other Republican lawmakers have also urged the military to shoot down the drones, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ).

Luna, a decorated US Air Force veteran, suggested that if the objects are unknown, there should be no reason not to shoot them down. “If an unknown object enters our airspace, an automatic shoot-down order should be issued — no questions asked,” the congresswoman wrote on social media.

“What happened with the Chinese spy balloon should never happen again,” she added. “I trust President Trump will take decisive action to prevent this!” 

House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) and Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) wrote a letter to the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and Federal Aviation Administration and demanded a classified briefing on the drones. Since mid-November, the drones have been appearing over the Garden State, New York, Maryland, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

“While the Pentagon has reiterated that these unmanned aerial systems (UAS) do not belong to the U.S. military, there is increasing concern that these drones are adversarial and could be conducting surveillance or intelligence collection while exploiting U.S. airspace,” Pfluger wrote in the letter, according to New York Post.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has already received a classified briefing on the drone sightings, The Hill reported.