[An image of a drone. Photo Credit: Pixabay]

Unidentified drones have been sighted throughout New Jersey since mid-November this year, sparking growing concerns and widespread speculation. 

The first report was made on November 18th, 2024, when multiple local New Jersey residents reported unusual aerial activity to authorities. 

Since then, there have been numerous additional sightings reported to authorities with witnesses describing sophisticated aerial vehicles operating in patterns unlike typical recreational drones.

Though most of the drones have been sighted in New Jersey, reports from other states, particularly on the northern East Coast of the country, have also come in.  

President-elect Donald Trump has spoken to the press, declaring that the military and government have more information about the drones than has been shared with the public. 

Both Trump and New Jersey’s governor have asked for more transparency regarding knowledge about the drones.  

The president-elect has not commented on whether he has been briefed by the White House regarding the drone sightings. 

As uncertainty surrounding the situation continues, numerous conspiracy theories involving the drone sightings have started to circulate. 

While some citizens believe that the drones were sent by the Chinese government to spy on America, others have proposed more extreme theories. 

A vocal minority believes that they are a sign of aliens.

The origin and operators of the drones remain unknown.

However,  speculation about Chinese government involvement has gained growing traction among political circles. 

While the Pentagon and other U.S. government agencies have denied any dangers related to the drones, there have been efforts by lawmakers to ban Chinese-manufactured drones, citing national security concerns.

Representative Elise Stefanik of New York’s 21st congressional district, recently appointed by Trump to be the ambassador to the U.N., has been pushing for action in the House to ban Chinese drones. 

There have also been similar efforts in the Senate, led primarily by Republican senators. 

While many Americans support the ban, strong opposition has emerged from various industries.

Critics argue that Chinese drones are preferred due to their high efficiency at a lower cost compared to American drones, and a ban would force people in occupations like farming and search and rescue operations to deal with buying much more expensive American drones as replacements. 

Earlier, Representative Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey’s 2nd congressional district had claimed that the drones were from Iran and urged citizens to shoot them down if sighted.

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia’s 14th congressional district backed up Representative Van Drew’s call, posting to X (formerly known as Twitter): “I’ll shoot the drones down myself along with every other red blooded freedom loving American.”

Rep. Van Drew’s assertion that the drones originated from Iran was quickly discredited by the Pentagon, preventing potential accidents that may have happened if citizens tried to shoot down the drones. 

Though the conflicting responses between the government’s and lawmakers’ reactions to the drone sightings are confusing and worrying many citizens, the drones have not yet appeared to pose a real danger to the country or its people.