NJ Legislator Responds To Kirby
The skies over New Jersey have been buzzing with controversy, quite literally, as drone swarms continue to puzzle residents and state officials alike.
The issue took a sharp turn Thursday when New Jersey Assemblyman Brian Bergen, a former Apache helicopter pilot, lambasted White House spokesman John Kirby for what he perceived as dismissive comments about the unusual sightings.
During a White House briefing, Kirby attributed the mysterious aerial activity to “manned aircraft being operated lawfully.”
Bergen, however, was unimpressed. “That guy is an idiot,” he declared, recounting a briefing with the state police where the colonel described an unsettling incident: a police helicopter pilot had to land because a six-foot-wide drone posed a safety risk. Bergen’s exasperation was palpable as he dismissed Kirby’s stance, calling him “a fool” for downplaying the issue.
This clash of perspectives—Army versus Navy, as Fox News host John Roberts quipped—underscores the growing urgency of the situation. Bergen’s fiery remarks were rooted in firsthand experience. He claimed to have witnessed the drones in his own community and expressed frustration over the lack of concrete action to identify and mitigate the potential threat.
The parallels drawn to the February 2023 Chinese spy balloon incident add another layer of concern. Like the balloon, the drone swarms seem enigmatic and potentially intrusive.
While the spy balloon was shot down off South Carolina after public outcry, Bergen argues for a more proactive approach: track just one drone and identify its operator. “We need people to take action,” he stressed, voicing a widespread sentiment among lawmakers and constituents.
Adding to the urgency, Bergen noted that New Jersey State Police were awaiting advanced drone-tracking technology from the Department of Homeland Security.
Promised within two days, the equipment’s arrival couldn’t come soon enough for officials grappling with what might be a critical security concern—or a commercially innocuous mystery.