For months, Americans were left in the dark as a strange phenomenon unfolded over New Jersey: swarms of drones were spotted flying overhead, sparking concern that they were linked to foreign adversaries or domestic threats. Under the Biden administration, answers were scarce, and speculation ran rampant. Now, just days into President Donald Trump’s second term, his administration has finally provided the transparency that was sorely lacking under Biden.

During a press conference on Tuesday, January 28, newly appointed White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wasted no time in setting the record straight. She opened the briefing with a direct statement from President Trump himself, explaining that the drones in question had been authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and were part of various research and recreational activities.

“Before I turn to questions, I do have news directly from the President of the United States that was just shared with me in the Oval Office from President Trump directly—an update on the New Jersey drones,” Leavitt announced.

According to Leavitt, the drones were nothing more than FAA-approved flights conducted by researchers and private hobbyists. In other words, there was no sinister foreign plot, no national security breach—just routine drone activity that, under competent leadership, could have been easily explained to the American people. Instead, Biden’s White House allowed the situation to spiral into confusion.

This revelation stands in stark contrast to the Biden administration’s handling of the situation. When pressed on the issue back in mid-December, then-White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre could offer nothing more than vague assurances that “the president is aware” and that the drones were “being tracked very, very closely” by agencies like the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI. Despite knowing that the drones were not of foreign origin, the Biden administration refused to provide straight answers, leaving the public guessing.

Leavitt highlighted this failure, emphasizing how unnecessary the uncertainty was. “After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons,” she explained.

She further noted that much of the increased drone activity was due to curiosity—once the sightings became widely known, more hobbyists took to the skies to see what the buzz was about. “Many of these drones were also hobbyists—recreational and private individuals that enjoy flying drones. In the meantime, it got worse, due to curiosity,” she said.

Importantly, Leavitt made clear what many Americans had feared under Biden but had never been given a straight answer on: these drones were not being used by hostile foreign entities to spy on American citizens or facilities. “This was not the enemy,” she declared.

With this briefing, President Trump’s White House demonstrated its commitment to transparency and decisive leadership—something sorely missing in the previous administration. Rather than allow a basic issue to devolve into a media-fueled frenzy, the Trump administration provided answers within days.

As the press conference moved on to other questions, one thing was clear: under President Trump, the American people will no longer be left in the dark by an administration too incompetent—or too unwilling—to level with them.