Last December dozens of drones were seen flying over the state of New jersey, prompting officials to call for a temporary state of emergency

The remarks from Karoline Leavitt, the new White House press secretary, echoed earlier remarks by the Biden administration about the sightings.

The White House now says that the drones seen flying over vast swaths of the East Coast were actually just research vessels approved for flight by the Federal Aviation Administration. After those drones took flight and led to concerns among many Americans, some hobbyists also took flight amid the frenzy, the administration says.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered an update from Trump during her first briefing Tuesday.

Mysterious drones that hovered over New Jersey last month were authorized by the FAA for research and recreation purposes, the White House says.

A local congressman isn't satisfied with the White House's answers about the mysterious drones seen across New Jersey skies late last year.

The mysterious drones that lit up skies across the US late last year were authorised by federal regulators and "not the enemy," the White House has announced. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had approved the drones for research and many also belonged to people in the area,

The White House said the mystery drones flown across New Jersey were "authorized to be flown by the FAA" in the first press briefing of the second Trump administration.

President Trump said Tuesday that the drone sightings over New Jersey late last year were either authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or were from hobbyists and enthusiasts. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt read a statement from Trump at her first press briefing that the FAA had flown drones in the area for research purposes.