Former Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie, speaks at the Florida Freedom Summit at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, Florida in 2023. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI |
License PhotoDec. 15 (UPI) — Amid widespread reports of “strange lights” in the New Jersey sky, former Gov. Chris Christie said he saw drones above his home and wants an investigation.
“That was a drone over my house, and I’ve never seen anything like that before and I’ve been living at that house for 30 years,” Christie said on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday.
The lights and drone sightings over New Jersey have prompted security concerns and potential safety threats. Christie and others have called for an investigation.
The former governor has called on officials to give state police the authority to “bring those drones down and find out why they’re doing what they’re doing,” he continued on Sunday. “You can see why people are concerned, and it’s a lack of communication from the government at the federal and state level that’s at fault here.”
Federal officials have sought to reassure the public. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Majorkas also said on “This Week” that the federal government is helping the New Jersey State Police investigate.
“I want to assure the American public we are on it. We are working in close coordination with state and local authorities,” he said.
He said federal officials have found no evidence of foreign involvement in the lights. He added that there are at least a million drones registered to fly in the U.S., and that thousands could be flying at one time, implying that the drone activity over New Jersey is not out of the norm.
The FAA changed flight rules about drones in 2023 so that operators can fly the craft at night.
Christie acknowledged the increasing importance of drones for commerce and law enforcement in the U.S. but added that they need to be operated safely and with the public’s knowledge.
“We need to be able to operate in a safe way and we’re not doing that,” he said Sunday.
Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., rode with a Clinton Township police officer to see the lights.
“We’re seeing a number of different drones, probably four or five that we can see right now at any given time flying low over the ridge line here,” Kim said on social media while on the ride along.
In a social media post, President-elect Donald Trump called on the government to be more transparent about the New Jersey drone activity, and to provide more information if they have it. “Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
