Karoline Leavitt said the mystery drones flown across New Jersey were "authorized to be flown by the FAA" in the first press briefing of the second Trump administration.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said reported drone sightings that sparked panic in New Jersey last month were drones authorized to fly by the Federal Aviation Administration and “not the enemy.

The mysterious drones sighted over New Jersey in December were authorized to fly and did not originate from a hostile

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that President Trump confirmed that the drones that were flying over New Jersey were authorized to be flown by the Federal Aviation Administration for "'research and various other reasons.

The White House claims that the objects seen in the skies over New Jersey in late 2024 were drones authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a statement from President Donald Trump on Tuesday regarding drone sightings across the region.

On social media, users shared theories that range from foreign interference to UFOs to hobbyist activity. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security said there was no evidence" the reported drone sightings posed a threat to national security or public safety or had any foreign connection.

Mysterious drones that hovered over New Jersey last month were authorized by the FAA for research and recreation purposes, the White House says.

The FAA directed questions about how the order would affect its hiring practices to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how the changes

DALLAS — On January 21, 2025, the White House issued a memorandum on “Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation,” directing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the US' foremost aviation safety body, and the Department of Transportation (DOT) to immediately end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in favor of merit-based hiring.

The full extent of the order was not immediately clear, but the directive sent to government agencies on Monday threatened to paralyze a vast swath of federal programs.