Back in late November, the first spotting of drones were seen in New Jersey flying over buildings throughout late hours of the night. This continued into December, with some of the most notable sightings being over the Picatinny Arsenal, and at the time President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster.
Dozens of witnesses continued in New Jersey, and later surrounding states, such as New York, Pennsylvania, and other East Coast states. These areas specifically raised concern for many Americans.
Speculation sparked online, with commentators suggesting the drones could be operated by foreign agents. Before the 2025 new year, the Biden administration continued to stress that the unidentified drones were not a threat to national security or public safety.
In December, President Biden said to reporters at the White House that there was “nothing nefarious apparently,” and that they were “following it closely.”
The lack of transparency from the administration sparked backlash from many, including Trump, who said that information regarding drones, which were becoming more of a national topic of concern, was being held back from the current administration.
“For some reason, they don’t want to tell people,” Trump said.
In the first press briefing of President Trump’s second administration, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the mysterious drones were “authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons.”
How difficult would it have been to say that two months earlier?
While commercial-grade — not recreational — six-foot drones flying through your backyard may be a unique situation, an underlying, continual issue is at play. The fire of public anger, fear, and conspiracy theories are fueled when governments choose to unnecessarily gate keep information, especially when it’s affecting the comfort and safety of citizens.
A growing loss of public trust in U.S. institutions is familiar, with previous incidents prompting similar effects in the mainstream media. Considering some people were even considering shooting down drones to possibly identify or outlaw possibilities of their origin, the somewhat draw-your-own-conclusion press release from Leavitt is a step in the right direction towards clarity, but still begs the question: If the information was this mundane, why didn’t the previous administration feel comfortable saying anything?
While the information given from both the previous and current administration can’t be deemed as deception, it seems more than credible to at least consider some half-truths. Sometimes, a lack of transparency from government officials can be just as disconcerting as propaganda.
This is the opinion of Maria Eggers, a senior reporter for the Chief Advocate.
