America was in the grip of ‘drone hysteria’ last night as Donald Trump urged President Biden to ‘shoot them down!’
Scores of mystery drones have been spotted hovering over cities and military bases in New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Virginia and California, with worried residents reporting that ‘swarms’ of up to 50 drones were flying overhead.
New Jersey authorities said more than 3,000 frightened residents had flooded an emergency hotline in 48 hours amid fears the drones could be under the control of a hostile foreign power, possibly China, Russia or Iran.
Last night, US President-elect Mr Trump called for urgent action, taking to the Truth Social platform to say: ‘Mystery drone sightings all over the country. Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge? I don’t think so! Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!’
America’s Federal Aviation Administration issued temporary flight restrictions over military bases in Virginia and Pennsylvania, as well as around Mr Trump’s golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey, where ‘giant’ drones flashing green and red lights were spotted last week.
Some of the objects have been said to be as large as a car, while New Jersey police reported that the drones were ‘unlike anything we have seen before’, failing to emit either heat or sound, making them undetectable on radar.
An Iranian ship was said to have been spotted off the New Jersey shore days before the first drone sighting was reported on November 18.
Congressman Jeff Van Drew said the drones were coming from a ‘hostile mothership’ offshore, saying: ‘It could be hundreds of miles out at sea. These types of drones go much greater distances.
‘Could it be China? Absolutely. Iran is a definitely possibility.’ Mr Van Drew added: ‘The Pentagon does not know what these drones are or where they are coming from. I have highly credible sources who believe Iran could have a ship off the east coast. We are not being told the truth. They are treating the American public like we are stupid.’
The US Coast Guard confirmed that 13 drones followed one of its boats on Thursday night.
Sheriff Michael Mastronardy, from Ocean County, New Jersey, said his officers ‘spotted 50 of them coming off the Atlantic’ and called 911, which sent a Coast Guard cutter to investigate.
Americans have taken to social media, with one Facebook page – Mystery Drones: Let’s Solve It – amassing 55,000 members.
Some believe the drones are American-made ‘nuclear fallout detectors’, with others claiming they have spotted them squirting liquid, prompting fears of a mass poisoning event.
Others think the drones are the start of an alien invasion.
The White House has tried to quell the growing hysteria with national security spokesman John Kirby denying nefarious foreign meddling could be at play. But fears continue to grow.
Former Maryland governor Larry Hogan filmed ‘dozens of large drones’ above his house: ‘I personally witnessed (and videoed) what appeared to be dozens of large drones above my residence in Davidson, Maryland (25 miles from our nation’s capital),’ he wrote on X.
He added: ‘The public is growing increasingly concerned and frustrated with the complete lack of transparency and the dismissive attitude of the federal government. We know these drone sightings have been going on for a while and not just in the US.’
Late last month, the US Air Force confirmed unidentified drones were spotted over four US airbases in the UK: RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, RAF Feltwell in Norfolk and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.
UK defence sources told the BBC that suspicion had fallen on a ‘state actor’ being responsible for the incursions.
In October, the Wall Street Journal reported that mysterious drones were seen for 17 days near US military facilities in Virginia.
The FBI has urged residents not to shoot down the drones for fear falling debris could hurt or kill someone on the ground.
A California man was charged last Tuesday with flying a drone over – and taking pictures of – Vandenberg Space Force Base, near Santa Barbara, on November 30.
The man, 39-year-old Chinese national Yinpiao Zhou, was arrested just before he boarded a flight to China.
Last night the White House and FBI declined to comment.