Rep. Chris Smith (R, NJ-04) could barely conceal his frustration on Saturday during a Seaside Heights, New Jersey press conference. Standing alonside Ocean County Sheriff Mike Mastronardy and Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden at the newly-minted Ocean County Command Center intended to assist in monitoring drones, Smith directed his anger at two Biden Administration officials who’ve gaslit New Jerseyans in recent days for reporting an invasion of drones in their communities.
“On the large number of drones flying throughout New Jersey and elsewhere that have so far evaded identification, origin, mission or potential threat to Americans, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas shockingly said this week: ‘We haven’t seen anything unusual. We know of no threat.’
What?” said Congressman Smith. “The massive invasion of drones observed and recorded by many of our citizens including law enforcement and military personnel—many in this room—isn’t unusual?”
“Is he kidding? How does Secretary Mayorkas who infamously told us for years that our southern border was secure and closed—when it was and is not—now insult our intelligence that ‘we haven’t seen anything unusual’? This is usual?” added Smith. “And how can he—and others like national security spokesman Admiral John Kirby—say we know of no threat? How can anyone speculate or issue assurances to the thousands of Americans who have witnessed the drones that there is no threat?”
Mayorkas went as far as to blame “cases of mistaken identity” for the uproar over drones which have not only been seen by civilains but also law enforcement and military personnel.
“We know of no threat or nefarious activity, and I want to repeat, Wolf, that if we learn of any cause for concern, we will be transparent in our communication,” Mayorkas explained to Wolf Blitzer on CNN this Friday.
Smith insists that’s rubbish.
“As the sightings increase including by servicemembers at Naval Weapons Station Earle—where several have been seen or by the Coast Guard which had one of its 47-foot rescue boats followed in very close proximity off its stern by numerous drones—why can’t we bag at least one drone and get to the bottom of this? Why can’t we even track a suspect drone to its origin? Have we so little control over our airspace?” Smith continued. “Remember the feckless response to the Chinese Communist Party Spy balloon? The elusive maneuvering of these drones suggests a major military power sophistication that begs the question whether they have been deployed to test our defense capabilities—or worse—by violent dictatorships including Russia, China, Iran, or North Korea. The Pentagon has already said the drones are not ours.”
The veteran congressman says he’s already drafting legislation which would permit local and state governments to take “more decisive action” in combatting drones including but not limited to granting them authority to bring them down.
“We can’t just shoot a drone out of the sky,” Mayorkas told Blitzer. “We have gone to Congress repeatedly asking for more authority to counter drone activity, and we have also asked for more authority to give to the state and local officials under our supervision, because it correctly notes those authorities need to be expanded.”
Here’s a portion of Smith’s remarks:
BREAKING: Sen. Chris Smith Says the ‘Massive Invasion of Drones’ in New Jersey Are Now Circling Military Bases & the Coast Guard
“For weeks we’ve asked for the truth … Now we are demanding it as sightings increase, including by service members at Naval Weapons Station… pic.twitter.com/2CU7V2SXEg
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) December 14, 2024
