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The Brew: Are the Drones a Government Exercise or a Desperate Search for Dangerous Materials?

By Al Perrotta Published on December 16, 2024

Happy Monday!

Today’s Brew opens with the brouhaha over all those drones being spotted in New Jersey, New York, and down toward Washington, DC.

Feds: Nothing to See Here, Folks

When it comes to those drone sightings mostly along the Eastern Seaboard, the Biden administration is basically telling the American people they’re not seeing what they’re seeing. White House spokesman John Kirby declared most people are seeing lawfully operated manned craft. In other words, just run-of-the-mill helicopters and planes. He also claims that the feds, state, and local officials have been unable to corroborate any of the reported visual sightings.

“Using very sophisticated electronic detection technologies provided by federal authorities, we have not been able to, and neither have state or local law enforcement authorities, corroborate any of the reported visual sightings,” he said. “To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully. The United States Coast Guard is providing support to the state of New Jersey, and has confirmed that there is no evidence of any foreign-based involvement from coastal vessels. And importantly, there are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted airspace.”

Another Biden official accused the public of a “slight overreaction.”

Everyone from President-Elect Donald Trump to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to local officials in New Jersey are flabbergasted by Kirby’s remarks.

“That guy’s an idiot,” said Mine Hill Township Mayor Sam Morris flatly. He says state police reported flying a helicopter over a 60-foot drone, but then landing because the pilot felt unsafe.

Said Trump:  “Mystery drone sightings all over the country. Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge? I don’t think so! Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!”

 

Actual Hunt for a Nuke or Dirty Bomb?

From both the federal government statements and intelligence and drone industry experts, we can put on the back burner – but not rule out – the possibility that these drones belong to a foreign enemy. We can also rule out the viral and humorous/distasteful meme suggesting these drones are just delivering McDonalds to Chris Christie.

This leaves us, most likely, with the possibility that the drones are part of a U.S government operation. But if that’s the case, what are they doing?

Gateway Pundit is speculating the widespread exercise is a Biden admin psyop, designed to cause instability and fear before Trump’s inauguration. 

Former CIA operations officer Laura Ballman told Fox News she believes the feds are conducting a “classified exercise to test either evasion technology or detection technology in urban areas.”

But what if it’s not a test? John Ferguson, the CEO of Saxon Aerospace, a “manufacturer of long endurance, custom remote aircraft systems” — aka drones — took to social media to explain why he believes a hunt is on for a nuclear weapon. “The only reason to fly at night is if you are looking for something important.” For example, a gas leak … or radioactive material.

(WARNING: Video contains an expletive.)

The good news? This is also consistent with the suggestion that the drones are part of an elaborate government test.

The bad news? Ferguson reminds us that when Ukraine dismantled its nuclear stockpiles in the 1990s, 80 nukes were missing. He says he also spoke to a government source a few months ago who was warning that one of those nukes was on its way to the U.S. from Europe, but nobody in the administration was listening. Is the source legit or just a Tom Clancy wannabe? Who knows?

Ferguson also recalled an incident in recent years when several drones were hunting along I-70 for some missing radioactive material. So if these drone swarms are on an active search, it wouldn’t be the first time such a thing happened. 

New Jersey state Sen. Jon Bramnick also doesn’t think this is a drill. “There must be something going on they can’t tell us,” he said, “because they’re so fearful of what the public is going to do when they hear what the drones are doing.”

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor-Greene thinks the feds should ‘fess up immediately.

https://twitter.com/RepMTG/status/1868142697061736713

The Bible tells us we are not given a spirit of fear — but we can pray that if there’s some nuke or dirty bomb, the government finds it fast. We pray God’s protection over these United States and a supernatural dismantling of any weapon of mass destruction that means us harm.

If it is just a test, then may the Biden administration should just tell us so we can get on with the hustle and bustle of Christmas.

Whatever is going on, as top Democratic lawmaker Jim Hines told Fox News Sunday, the government’s reaction is “not good enough.”  

Trump’s Big Weekend: Army-Navy Game and a Victory Over ABC

Boy, did Donald Trump have a good Saturday. He took in the 125th Army-Navy college football game with some members of his new posse, enjoyed the roar of the crowd and the embrace of the cadets and midshipmen, plus got an apology and $15 million out of ABC News and George Stephanopoulos.

Earlier this year, during a heated exchange with Rep. Nancy Mace, ABC News personality and Democratic operative Stephanopoulos slandered Donald Trump, falsely declaring him guilty of rape. .

“You’ve endorsed Donald Trump for president,” he told Mace during the exchange, then falsely stated, “Judges and two separate juries have found him liable for rape and for defaming the victim of that rape.”

(Take a second to note the irony of Bill Clinton’s top operative accusing anyone of rape.)

As a result, Trump sued George Stephanopoulos and ABC News for defamation. And just days before he and Stephanopoulos were going to sit for depositions, ABC News caved. Stephanopoulos and ABC News issued a “statement of regret” (which is not exactly an apology) to Trump on Saturday and will pay $15 million to a future Trump presidential foundation or museum, plus $1 million for his legal fees. But still, for a public figure to win a defamation claim against a major news network? That’s big. 

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Meanwhile, Trump may be setting himself up for another financial windfall

After refurbishing the historic Old Post Office Building near the White House into the luxurious Trump International, Trump sold a 100-year lease on the property for $375 million to CGI Merchant Group in 2022, with Hilton managing the hotel under its Waldorf-Astoria brand. Between the loss of Trump’s connection and the cruddy economy, the Waldorf-Astoria had a rough go of it, and CGI Merchant Group defaulted on its loan. An investment group snatched up the lease at foreclosure for a bargain $100 million.

Now Eric Trump has acknowledged that the Trump Organization is considering a deal either to purchase back the lease or perhaps agree to a licensing agreement to bring back Trump International. “We saved the hotel once,” he told the New York Post. “If asked, we would do so again.”

Duke Lacrosse Players’ Accuser Finally Admits She Lied

While we are talking about those who’ve been falsely accused of rape, the woman who falsely accused three Duke University lacrosse players of raping her in 2006 in the infamous, widely publicized case, has finally admitted she made the whole story up.

Crystal Mangum, currently in prison for killing her ex-boyfriend, told the Let’s Talk With Kat podcast Wednesday, “I testified falsely against them by saying that they raped me when they didn’t, and that was wrong, and I betrayed the trust of a lot of other people who believed in me. [I] made up a story that wasn’t true because I wanted validation from people and not from God.”

According to the Duke Chronicle, Mangum repeatedly invoked her faith in God in her determination to apologize and seek forgiveness.

“I hope that [the players] can heal and trust God and know that God loves them and that God is loving them through me, letting them know that they’re valuable,” she said. 

Along the Stream …

John Zmirak has a message for basketball’s hottest star: “Dear Caitlin Clark: White Guilt Is Useless and Toxic, Like All Those Stupid Electric Cars.” 

Meanwhile, Jules Gomes continues his two-part series on John the Baptist and the traits we share with him in “When Mr. Firebrand Turns into Mr. Doubtfire.” 

 

Al Perrotta is The Stream’s Washington bureau chief, coauthor with John Zmirak of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration, and coauthor of the counterterrorism memoir Hostile Intent: Protecting Yourself Against Terrorism.