Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy offered a detailed briefing on upcoming drone operations, drawing a sharp distinction between the Trump administration’s open approach and what he described as the secrecy of the previous leadership.
“Do you remember the drone fiasco under the last administration from a few months ago?” Duffy asked in a video posted to X. Reflecting on that time, he noted that he had been living in New Jersey and recalled how concerned the public was over the mysterious, unexplained drone sightings.
Duffy emphasized that the Trump administration has adopted a completely different philosophy — one of “radical transparency.” He continued, “As part of that mandate, I’d like to share an update on drones and what we’re doing to protect you,” revealing that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would begin “drone detection testing in Cape May, New Jersey.”
According to Duffy, the goal of these tests is to ensure that authorities can reliably identify drones operating in U.S. airspace and prevent any risk of interference with aircraft systems. He stressed that the public would be informed about when and where the tests will be held to avoid confusion or alarm.
“The FAA will operate more than 100 commercial off-the-shelf drones from everything like the drones you see behind me, to much larger vehicles,” Duffy explained, pointing out that local residents had already been briefed on the activity.
The drone testing is scheduled to wrap up on Friday, April 25. Duffy assured the public that the Department of Transportation under President Trump will continue offering “these kind of candid behind-the-scenes updates.”
“You deserve a government that’s always going to be transparent about what we see and what we do,” he added.
Late 2024 was marked by national unease over widespread drone sightings, with the Biden administration coming under fire for failing to explain the phenomenon. The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI eventually issued a joint statement saying there was “no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.”
Not long after President Donald Trump assumed office, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a statement to clarify the situation, confirming that the drones flying over New Jersey and elsewhere had actually been sanctioned by the FAA. “From President Trump directly, an update on the New Jersey drones,” Leavitt stated. “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.”
Although Leavitt did not elaborate on the specific nature of that research or the “various other reasons” mentioned, she did add that not all the drone sightings were part of official activity. “Some of the drones spotted were also hobbyists, recreational and private individuals that enjoy flying drones,” she said.

{Matzav.com}