Drones latest: Biden insists flying objects pose ‘no danger’ as FBI issues urgent firearm and laser warning

Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Major General Pat Ryder reacted Tuesday to concerns regarding the recent drone sightings across the eastern US.

“Completely understand the concerns, completely will reinforce we’re taking it seriously,” he told reporters at an afternoon news briefing.

Ryder said that there is the potential that Americans are just more aware of the drones.

“Again, we’ll continue to take this very seriously,” he said.

Ryder repeated that no drone sightings were assessed as anomalous or were assessed as a public safety or national security risk.

The Pentagon is holding a separate and simultaneous briefing right now.

Pennsylvania Republican Doug Mastriano has been facing some heat after posting a picture of what appears to be a Star Wars prop instead of one of the mysterious drones that are flying around the East Coast this month.

Now, he says sharing the meme was on purpose.

“I posted a statement about the drones and used an obvious Star Wars prop as a meme,” he said. “The Philadelphia Inquirer just called asking if I knew it was a prop. Hilarious. Modern day ‘journalism.’”

The newspaper reported that statement and that Mastriano said the “extreme left” needed a sense of humor.

South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace said Monday that the public should not rule out “outer space” as a possible origin of drones flying around the East Coast.

“My concern is, if it’s not craft from outer space — because I think that has to be on the table,” the congresswoman told Outkick. “That has to be an option — is it our technology? Or is it Russia or Iran or China? Is there someone who’s winning the arms race, and are we behind?”

“Because my question is about national security, and I hope that it’s us,” she continued. “I hope that it’s not our adversaries or something from outside the universe, because I have real concerns that, like, if these drones are from Iran or China, like some of the rumors have been, I pray that they’re ours, but we should also know why they’re out there. Like, are they looking for radiation? Are they looking for a missing nuclear warhead?”

Florida Senator Rick Scott took a shot at the Biden administration on Tuesday after the FBI, FAA, Department of Defense, and Department of Homeland Security said recent drone sightings were lawful and did not “present a national security or public safety risk” along the East Coast.

“The American people don’t trust the federal government because the Biden admin has lied again and again about Communist China,” Scott alleged.

“They lied about the Chinese spy balloons. Who’s to say they are telling the truth about these drones?!”

A former senior US official said that before the balloon was seen publicly, there was “the intention to study it and let it pass over and not ever tell anyone about it,” according to an NBC News report.

It is unclear if that is what Scott, who has criticized the president’s relationship with China, was referring to.

Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn is pushing for the protection of the nation’s airspace in a letter to the Department of Defense.

Writing to Secretary Lloyd Austin, she asked questions about the department’s involvement, calling for answers by the end of the month.

While Biden administration officials have assured that the drones are lawful and legal, Blackburn stressed that sightings indicate “a significant and evolving risk.”

“The drone sightings across the East Coast should be viewed within this context as part of an ongoing, multidimensional threat to our national security. I strongly urge the Department of Defense to take all necessary steps – up to and including military action – to ensure the protection of our airspace and the security of the American people,” she said.

“I don’t know if it’s safe or not safe because we don’t have full domain awareness,” New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told CNN on Tuesday.

“When they are located for two straight weeks over Langley, that is definitely not enthusiasts,” she said. “That is definitely not without risk or without a national security concern.”

Langley is the area of the headquarters for the CIA.

“Sometimes the answer is to find a way to down a drone and sometimes the answer is to not. And, a lot of it depends on the capability that the base commander has available to him or to her. But, they have the authorities that they need,” White House national security communications adviser John Kirby told Fox News Channel’s America’s Newsroom on Tuesday.

“The sense that you have to shoot everything down just when you see it, even if you do believe that there’s a malicious intent doesn’t comport with actually reality,” he continued.

Kirby said that the government has a “good sense” on what’s happening, agreeing with President-elect Donald Trump’s assessment on Monday.

“This is lawful, legal aviation activity,” he said, “manned and unmanned drones, civil aviation. We’ve seen nothing that leads us to a different conclusion.”

A blurry video of a bright orb in the night sky fueled social media speculation on Monday.

The clip has more than 913,000 views on the platform X.

“We’re looking at the moon right now and that’s nowhere near the moon,” ABC 7’s Toni Yates said in the video.

Atmospheric scientist Matthew Cappucci and former congressman Adam Kinzinger both posted to respond to the report.

“It’s literally Venus,” Kinzinger said.

“Folks at home – you’ll see Venus shine brightly (-4.13 magnitude, which is makes it the second-brightest celestial object in the night sky) after sunset over the coming nights. Then Jupiter, near opposition, next to the moon,” Cappucci replied.

NASA said that Venus, the second planet from the sun, would be hard to miss in the southwest after sunset this month.

New Jersey Rep. Mikie Sherrill has released a plan to locate and track drones flying over her state.

It would also increase information available to local law enforcement authorities, and improve communications with residents.

“I’m incredibly frustrated with the lack of coordination and communication from agencies as New Jerseyans continue to watch unidentified drones fly across our skies, Sherrill said in a press release.

“That’s why, after writing to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and consulting with local leaders and subject matter experts, I am releasing a plan of action that will help meet these goals,” she continued. “I urge federal, state, and local leadership to use this plan in order to enact an effective, whole-of-government response to protect our state and better communicate information with the public and local authorities.”

Sherill’s plan comes amid division in the party over the Biden administration’s response to the drones.

“It’s all about information and briefings, which has been my complete frustration,” New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer said, according to The Hill. “I’ve asked the FBI and DHS to actually do a proper public briefing.”