New York Gov. Kathy Hochul Says Mystery Drone Problem ‘Has Gone Too Far’

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has a message for the Biden administration, as it continues to show little urgency in addressing unexplained nighttime drone sightings along the East Coast: “This has gone too far.”

Hochul demanded that President Joe Biden take action for the sake of public safety in a statement issued Saturday, after drone sightings caused planes to be grounded at a regional airport the night before.

That facility — Stewart Airfield, about 60 miles north of New York City — serves commercial and military aircraft.

For weeks, residents in New Jersey, New York and other states have reported seeing strange drones in the sky, sometimes in clusters, moving in ways that do not seem possible for manned airplanes.

Hochul called on Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety and Reauthorization Act, a bill that would allow state and local law enforcement to do more to address “unmanned aircraft systems.” Managing UAS sightings is currently overseen largely by the federal government.

“Extending these powers to New York State and our peers is essential,” Hochul said.

“Until those powers are granted to state and local officials, the Biden administration must step in by directing additional federal law enforcement to New York and the surrounding region to ensure the safety of our critical infrastructure and our people,” she concluded.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) made a similar push for action in a letter to Biden this week.

After calling for the drones to be shot down, President-elect Donald Trump used the situation to make fun of Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor turned Trump critic. He posted an apparently AI-generated illustration showing Christie eating McDonald’s delivered via swarming drones.

The FBI has already joined state and local law enforcement in investigating the mysterious sightings, which began in November.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby repeatedly told reporters this week that there was no evidence the drones pose a threat, and said “many” reported sightings were actually manned aircraft operating lawfully.

Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters that the drones were not from the U.S. military. She noted that military commanders at bases in the area always have the option to take action against drones if they interfere with their airspace, but none of the drones are believed to have done so thus far.

Singh also said the Pentagon does not believe the drones are being operated by a foreign adversary, such as Iran, despite claims made by Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.).

Elected officials — particularly in New Jersey, where many of the sightings have occurred — are expressing growing frustration with the federal response.

New Jersey state Assemblyman Brian Bergen (R) called Kirby an “idiot” this week and doubted whether federal officials were telling the full truth.

“It’s not a threat until it is a threat,” Ryan Herd, the mayor of Pequannock, New Jersey, told CNN on Saturday.

“We have drones that are flying over critical infrastructure. They’re flying over residents’ houses. They deserve to have peace of mind,” Herd said, adding, “God forbid one of these drones the size of a car crashes into your neighbor’s house.”

Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) rode along with local police Thursday evening as calls came in about the drones, explaining on social media how he saw lights in the sky.

But he followed up to say that he has come to believe “most” of the sightings were actually just airplanes of different sizes. Kim spoke with aviation experts and used publicly available data on flights.

“I don’t discount others may have seen actual drone activity, and not all I saw is fully explained by flight paths, but much of it was,” Kim wrote. “And I think the process through which I got confirmation points to the kind of explanation we need from gov authorities to address the public’s concern.

“I think this situation in some ways reflects this moment in our country,” he went on. “People have a lot anxiety right now about the economy, health, security etc. And too often we find that those charged with working on these issues don’t engage the public with the respect and depth needed.”