While theories about the origins of mysterious objects in the skies vary, the US government remains the top suspect
Nearly eight in ten Americans suspect the US government of withholding information about the wave of mysterious drone sightings across the country over the past month, with half viewing them as a threat, according to a new survey.
Just over half of the US population is closely following the story, and those who are more engaged are increasingly likely to suspect government involvement or attempts to hide the truth. Some 53 percent of respondents “consider those drones a threat” to the US, while 78 percent believe the government is “keeping information it knows from the public.”
The CBS News/YouGov survey was conducted between December 18-20 and questioned 2,244 US adults, with a margin of error of 2.4 points.
The wave of drone sightings began in mid-November when numerous reports started circulating about large, unidentified “drones” appearing at night over New Jersey. These sightings gained media attention, quickly spreading to other states, including New York and Pennsylvania, and eventually extending to multiple regions across the country—from the southern states and the Midwest to the western mountain states and the Pacific coast.
The growing number of sightings prompted action from local, state, and federal authorities to quell public concern and confusion. However, multiple agencies, including the FBI, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), FAA, and Department of Defense (DoD), have failed to find anything that poses a threat.
“The FBI has received tips on more than 5,000 reported drone sightings in the last few weeks, generating approximately 100 leads, and the federal government is supporting state and local officials in investigating these reports,” the FBI, DHS, FAA, and DoD said in a joint statement last week. “After closely examining the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, law enforcement drones, manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones.”
We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess that the activity to date presents a national security or public safety risk over civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.
State and local law enforcement, along with numerous independent experts, have reported similarly underwhelming findings, even though many cases remain unresolved.
While the US military acknowledged repeated drone incursions over military sites in the past year, Pentagon representatives insisted that such flyovers are not unusual and are generally not nefarious. Despite these assurances, public skepticism remains high, and many continue to demand more transparency and answers from government officials.
US President-elect Donald Trump went so far as to say that any “mysterious” object in the sky that the government can’t identify or explain must be shot down.
“Mystery drone sightings all over the country. Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge? I do not think so!” he wrote in a post on Truth Social last week. “Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!”
