Rep. Nancy Mace (RS.C.) said in a podcast interview that the public should not rule out “space” as a possible source for some of the drones recently seen in the Northeast.
in interview On Monday's episode of “Outkick,” Mace expressed skepticism about some of the government's efforts to reassure the public that there are no safety risks associated with drone sightings. She claimed that some pilots have said they are unable to explain some of what is depicted in videos of the skies circulating on social media.
“My concern is if it's not a spacecraft from space, because I think it should be on the table. It should be an option – it's our technology. Or is there a winner in the arms race and we are behind?”
“My question is about national security, and I hope that's what we are,” she continued. “I hope it's not from our enemy or from outside of space, because if these drones come from Iran or China, as some rumors say, then we I hope so, but I'm very concerned. I also need to know why they're there. For example, are they looking for radiation? Are you looking for nuclear warheads?
Mace said his council office has been receiving calls from constituents concerned about the increase in drone sightings.
“We have a right to some answers here. People are scared and many Congressional offices are listening to people and writing to express their concerns when they see these drones. Because we do,” Mace said. “And, frankly, Congress needs answers. [Defense Department]The Department of Defense needs to come and tell us the truth. ”
Federal law enforcement officials have publicly stated that the recent increase in drone sightings does not indicate an increased risk to public safety.
National Security Communications Assistant John Kirby said Monday in an interview with Fox News' Bret Baier that federal, local and state officials are working together to identify more than 5,000 instances of possible drone sightings. It said it had investigated the aircraft and determined that some of the aircraft were manned and others were unmanned. .
“We made the detection and then we did the analysis. We corroborated the sightings,” the White House spokesperson said. “And in all the cases we've investigated to date, we've found nothing to indicate a public safety risk.”
“Every day and night, drones fly over the skies of the United States, but we have seen nothing in and around New Jersey that would cause people on the ground to be concerned about their safety. ” continued Kirby. “And working with the Department of Defense, we haven't seen anything that suggests foreign adversaries are involved or any kind of harmful threat to our national security.”
Later Monday, a joint statement from the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Federal Aviation Administration, and Department of Defense said, “After reviewing technical data and information from concerned members of the public, reports of sightings to date include: We assess that there are.” It's a combination of legal commercial drones, hobbyist drones, law enforcement drones, and even manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stellar aircraft that were incorrectly reported as drones. ”
