Trump on NJ drone mystery: 'The government knows what is happening'

NEW JERSEY - President-elect Donald Trump said "the government knows what is happening" when asked about the New Jersey drone mystery during a wide-ranging Monday morning news conference.

This goes against official statements from federal and state authorities who said they don't know why mysterious drones have been reported flying over New Jersey, Staten Island and elsewhere in recent weeks.

The Pentagon said that the aircraft are not U.S. military drones, and officials have rebuked claims that the drones spotted are a part of a nefarious plot by foreign agents.

MORE: No drone found after NJ residents report crash

Yet Trump has insisted that the government knows more than they're saying.

"I can’t imagine it’s the enemy because if it was the enemy, they’d blast it out, even if they were late, they’d blast it," the president-elect said Monday.

"They know where it came from and where it went, and for some reason, they don’t wanna comment, and I think they’d be better off saying what it is," he added. "Our military knows, and our president knows, and for some reason, they wanna keep people in suspense."

Drones have even been spotted over Trump’s golf course in Bedminster.

"I won't spend the weekend in Bedminster. I've decided to cancel my trip," Trump joked Monday.

When asked if he had received an intelligence briefing on the drones, Trump said "I don't wanna comment on that."

This isn't the president-elect's first comments on the drone mystery.

"Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!" he posted on his social media site Truth social on Friday.

Meanwhile, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, as well as law enforcement officials, have stressed the drones don’t appear to be a threat to public safety, but many state and municipal lawmakers have nonetheless called for stricter rules about who can fly the unmanned aircraft.

NJ drones: How we got here

Dozens of witnesses reported seeing the drones in the state beginning in November.

At first, they were spotted flying along the Raritan River, but soon sightings were reported statewide, including near the Picatinny Arsenal and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. The aircraft were also recently spotted in coastal areas.

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith said a Coast Guard commanding officer told him a dozen drones closely followed a Guard lifeboat near Barnegat Light and Island Beach State Park in Ocean County over the weekend.

Drones spotted over NYC?

Drone sightings have been reported in New York. NYC Mayor Eric Adams said the city was investigating and collaborating with New Jersey and federal officials.

Drone detection system

Meanwhile, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Sunday that the federal government is deploying a drone detection system to the state to aid in investigations into recent drone sightings.

"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. This system will support state and federal law enforcement in their investigations," Hochul said in a statement.