New Jersey gubernatorial candidates offered various reactions to the mysterious drone sightings over the Garden State.
Why It Matters
Recent drone sightings across New Jersey and other eastern states have sparked concerns, as little information about what they may be has been made public. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assured Americans in a statement last Thursday that there was “no evidence” that the sightings pose a public safety or security threat or have a foreign origin.
The sightings come as the race to replace New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is 11 months out. The sightings present an opportunity for both Democratic and Republican candidates to show how they might lead the state in a potential crisis.
Historically, whichever party isn’t holding the presidency does well in New Jersey’s gubernatorial elections, giving Democrats optimism about holding the office next year, but the state shifted to the right in this year’s elections, with President-elect Donald Trump losing it by only about 6 percentage points.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
What to Know
Both Democrats and Republicans running in New Jersey’s governor race have commented on the drones.
In a statement on Monday, Representative Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat who has led early primary polls, released a “drone plan of action” to locate and track drones flying over the state, increase information available to police and increase communications about the drones with Garden State residents.
She wrote that she is “incredibly frustrated with the lack of coordination and communication from agencies” amid the sightings.
“Right now, our leaders need to be acting in accordance with a unified plan, and speaking with one voice in order to protect our national security, keep New Jerseyans safe, and ensure state and local authorities have the information and tools they need to take action,” she said.
Last week, Representative Josh Gottheimer, another Democrat running for governor, urged the FBI and DHS to allow state and local law enforcement to take down the drones safely.
“New Jersey cannot become the wild west for drone activity — and Americans shouldn’t have to worry about what’s flying overhead, especially as technology like AI advances at an unprecedented clip,” Gottheimer said in a statement.
He also told reporters on Monday that the state needs a “proper system to track the activity” as residents “shouldn’t have to worry about what’s overhead.”
Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican leading early primary polls, told Fox News last week that he was “very, very fearful” that somebody could “take matters into their own hands.”
“You can’t tell me with the resources we have available to us in New Jersey, McGuire Air Force Base, Fort Dix, Coast Guard, International Guard, the most well-equipped police force in the country, that we can’t get answers? This is ridiculous,” he said, criticizing Murphy and the White House for taking what he views as a “laissez-faire” approach to the drones.
Newsweek reached out to each of the politicians’ campaigns for comment via email.
What People Are Saying
Others have also responded to the drone sightings.
Governor Phil Murphy on X: “Tonight I met with @NJSP officials and radar technicians at the Regional Operations & Intelligence Center who are surveying the area for unmanned aircraft systems. The public deserves clear answers — we will keep pushing the federal government for more information and resources.”
President-elect Donald Trump during a press conference: “The government knows what is happening. Our military knows where they took off from. If it’s a garage they can go right into that garage. They know where it came from and where it went. For some reason, they don’t want to comment. I think they’d be better off saying what it is. Our military know,s and our president knows.”
The FBI previously told Newsweek: “The FBI is aware of reported sightings of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)—commonly referred to as drones—observed flying in multiple locations over the past several weeks. The FBI remains engaged with our federal, state, local, and tribal partners to share information and protect the public.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, in a statement: “In response to my calls for additional resources, our federal partners are deploying a state-of-the-art drone detection system to New York State.”
What Happens Next
Pressure for officials to disclose more information about the drones is expected to continue over the coming days, while speculation about where the drones are coming from may continue growing in the absence of definitive information.
Federal law enforcement has maintained that the drones do not pose a threat to the public.