Clarification on New Jersey Drone Sightings from the White House

During a news conference on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that the drone sightings reported in New Jersey and neighboring states last year were associated with drones that were flown legally with the Federal Aviation Administration's authorization. She emphasized that these were not adversarial threats, referencing a statement attributed to President Trump.

The sightings garnered significant public interest starting in mid-November, when northern New Jersey residents began observing mysterious flashing lights in the sky, which many speculated were drones. This phenomenon sparked widespread discussion on social media, where people shared videos and debated the origin and purpose of the aircraft.

While some speculated that these drones might belong to U.S. government operations, others theorized that they could be foreign surveillance tools aimed at critical infrastructure or military sites. A recent poll conducted by Emerson College revealed that a small percentage, approximately 8.3 percent, of New Jersey residents even believed the lights might be indicative of "nonhuman intelligence.