White House and FBI now say New Jersey’s mysterious drones are ‘lawful manned aircraft’ — but some local officials remain unconvinced

The White House and FBI say New Jersey’s string of mystery drones might actually be manned aircraft and “inaccurate sightings.”

That new detail came in an official statement from the agencies and a news conference Thursday with national security communications adviser John Kirby, who said the Department of Homeland Security and FBI are working with state and local law enforcement to investigate the surge in reported drone sightings.

At the news conference, Kirby said some of the mystery drones were actually “lawfully operated” manned vehicles and, though unnerving, are not a security threat.

But some New Jersey and Pennsylvania officials aren’t buying it, and are demanding more transparency as the sightings persist. On Friday, Gov. Phil Murphy penned a letter to President Joe Biden, expressing “growing concern” about the drones and seeking federal help “to fully understand what is behind this activity,” as state and local agencies are “hamstrung … to successfully counteract them.”

Earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security briefed New Jersey lawmakers on the Garden State drone sightings, but according to Republican New Jersey Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia, officials there didn’t suggest the aircraft were manned.

» READ MORE: Homeland Security and New Jersey State Police hold briefing on mystery drone updates

According to Fantasia’s post on X, New Jersey lawmakers were told there had been four to 180 drone sightings per night (sometimes with potential repeat sightings of the same drone) since the sightings began in mid-November. The agency said the drones were unmanned and hard to detect because they’d sometimes operate without lights, the assemblywoman said.

Kirby echoed Thursday that the drones were hard to detect, even with combined federal tech and intelligence, but also said that “many of the reported sightings” are manned and lawfully operating.

In a joint statement Thursday, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security said those new details were based on reviewing available images of the aircraft, adding that historically, the agencies have seen “cases of mistaken identity, where reported drones are, in fact, manned aircraft or facilities.”

“We are supporting local law enforcement in New Jersey with numerous detection methods but have not corroborated any of the reported visual sightings with electronic detection,” the statement said, adding that there have been “no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space.”

“That is ridiculous,” Mine Hill Township Mayor Sam Morris told ABC News, inviting the national security spokesperson to join him for a night to count aircraft over his North Jersey town. “You look up in the sky and you see them, and some of them are just hovering and sitting.”

» READ MORE: The mystery drone sightings in New Jersey are spreading to Philly suburbs, prompting more questions

Across the region, frustrations are mounting as as residents and lawmakers seek answers about the mysterious drones.

Earlier this week, U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R., N.J.) called for the drones to be shot down, which is illegal and the Federal Aviation Administration warns against. Van Drew also sent a letter to Biden citing unconfirmed reports that foreign adversaries were behind the drones — claims that have been repeatedly denied by multiple agencies, including the White House.

“We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus,” Kirby told reporters. Still, Kirby said there wasn’t any new information, either, and investigators were working “to better understand their origin.”

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican who represents Bucks County, wrote a letter to federal agencies, asking for answers and action.

And as tensions rise, the drone sightings have become the latest talking point among candidates in the New Jersey governor’s race.

Two North Jersey Democrats — U.S. Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherrill, each wrote letters to federal agencies calling for more public transparency.

In a letter to the Department of Defense, Sherrill, a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, said she is “deeply concerned” by the drones spotted near “sensitive national security sites.” Gottheimer said on Tuesday that he plans to introducing a bill to expand federal grants “to help make radar systems more available” to local law enforcement.

Meanwhile, Republican candidate Bill Spadea has used the drone scrutiny as an opportunity to drop new merch and raise money for his campaign, offering lawn signs to donors with a target pointed at a drone to “make your yard part of the defense.”

On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Andy Kim (D., N.J.) joined Clinton Township law enforcement on a night patrol throughout Hunterdon County to see firsthand drone sightings, saying he witnessed “dozens” of drones flying over the county in a two-hour span. Kim also signed a letter with fellow lawmakers requesting a briefing on how the federal agencies were working to identify and address the source of the drones.

“It’s hard for people to feel secure when there are unexplained drones flying overhead and they’re not getting answers they need from the federal investigation,” Kim said in a statement.

“People deserve answers,” Kim said. “We don’t need conspiracy theories or conjecture, we need assurances that the people charged with keeping us safe are on top of this issue, and a line of communication so that people feel like their government is taking this seriously.”