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President Joe Biden on Tuesday sought to reassure the public on drones in East Coast states, saying there was nothing alarming about the increased reports of unmanned aircraft sightings.
“Nothing nefarious, apparently,” Biden told reporters at the White House. “We’re following it closely. So far no sense of danger.”
Biden’s remarks — his first public comments on the matter — add to a growing number of assurances from his administration.
Still, the numerous sightings have sparked demands for more information across the political spectrum, including President-elect Donald Trump and Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York and members of Congress amid conspiracy theories and rising public concern tied to the sightings.
Biden said Tuesday night that “there’s a lot of drones authorized up there.”
More than a million drones are lawfully registered with the Federal Aviation Administration, according to a joint statement released a day earlier by the Department of Homeland Security, the FAA, the Defense Department and the FBI, who all said the sightings are not out of the ordinary and do not pose “a national security or public safety risk.”
The agencies said Monday that authorities had received more than 5,000 tips in recent weeks and that among the objects identified were commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones, as well as some crewed fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and stars.
Members of the House Intelligence Committee received a closed-door briefing Tuesday afternoon on the drone sightings from intelligence officials.
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the panel’s top Democrat, said officials had repeatedly assured them that the drones were not being used “unlawfully” or by people “with malign intent.”
During an interview on NBC’s “TODAY” show on Tuesday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby urged Congress to pass legislation that would enable government entities on the federal, state and local levels “better authorities” to address a growing number of drones flying into U.S. airspace.
A provision in the short-term funding bill congressional leaders released Tuesday night would reauthorize a program led by the Department of Homeland Security allowing coordination and permitting federal agencies to counter drone threats.
Zoë Richards is a politics reporter for NBC News.
Tara Prindiville is a White House producer for NBC News.
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