Sports analyst Stephen A. Smith has joined the many calls from Americans demanding answers about the wave of drones flying over the East Coast.
Unexplained drone sightings have been reported over military bases and airports in the northeastern United States in recent days.
New Jersey was the epicenter of the recent wave of flying objects, which baffled experts and worried local lawmakers as the central government struggled to provide concrete answers about what’s going on.
And with the administration’s latest statement blaming hobbyists, Smith managed to turn a debate about the New York Giants into a White House tirade.
Smith joined Shannon Sharpe and co. on Monday’s episode of First Take, where the panel discussed the Giants’ latest loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Giants, who play at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, suffered a 35-14 loss this weekend, prompting Sharpe to argue that the fanbase “maybe should fly some more planes overhead.”
Stephen A. Smith has joined the many calls for answers about the drone wave
Large drones that have reportedly ravaged states such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York
The former tight end was referring to recent attempts by Giants fans to provoke a response from the team owners by flying a plane over the stadium and calling for a solution to their woes.
However, the joke opened the door to a discussion about other flying objects, as Smith bizarrely used it to launch an explosive rant about the drone controversy.
“Let me tell you something, those damn drones in New York City,” Smith said. “The United States Government, come together! Do it together! There’s a drone flying over people’s houses in Jersey and New York!’
“I saw Independence Day, damn it! I don’t underestimate all that! Figure it out!’” he added, comparing the wave of drones to the 1996 sci-fi film starring Will Smith.
Since mid-November, a spate of unexplained drone sightings over central Jersey has left both police and the general public looking to the skies for clues as to what these mysterious night flights could be.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and US Senator Andy Kim have both gone on a drone hunt in hopes of answers. The FBI, Homeland Security, state police and other agencies are investigating.
Murphy and law enforcement officials have emphasized that the drones do not appear to pose a threat to public safety, but many state and municipal lawmakers have nonetheless called for stricter rules on who can fly the unmanned aircraft — and on shooting them down. of heaven.
The state had 12 sightings on Saturday and just one on Sunday.
Since mid-November, a spate of unexplained drone sightings over central Jersey has left both police and the general public baffled
The growing anxiety among some residents is not lost on the Biden administration, which has drawn criticism from Trump for not addressing the matter more aggressively.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday that the federal government has not yet identified any risks to public safety or national security from reported drone sightings in the Northeast, and said officials believe it was flown lawfully drones, planes or even stars.
“There are more than 1 million drones here in the United States that are legally registered with the Federal Aviation Administration,” Kirby said. “And there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones that are legally in the air on any given day. That is the ecosystem we are dealing with.’
The federal government has deployed personnel and advanced technology to investigate the reports in New Jersey and other states, and is evaluating every tip reported by citizens, he said.
The FBI has received more than 5,000 tips in recent weeks, he added, of which only “about a hundred” were deemed credible enough to require additional investigation.