House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Wednesday rebuffed the Biden-Harris administration's response to recent drone sightings in New Jersey, decrying how federal authorities have given no clear answers to Congress on their origin. 

In a Fox News appearance, Johnson agreed that the White House, and more broadly the U.S. government, does not seem concerned about the increased sightings in New Jersey and elsewhere in the Northeast. 

"Look, I'm the speaker of the House. I have the exact same frustrations that you do and all of us do. We don't have the answers. The administration is not providing them," Johnson said. 

Johnson said he set up a meeting last week with officials from the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, and "the answers are not forthcoming."

TRUMP SAYS THE GOVERNMENT 'KNOWS WHAT IS HAPPENING' WITH MYSTERIOUS DRONES

"They just say 'don't worry about it, it's not foreign entities, there's not a vessel offshore doing this, and they're not collecting any data.' OK, then what is it?" Johnson said. 

"You heard Mayorkas, who no one believes, we impeached him in the House as you know, the DHS secretary, he said in an interview a couple days ago, well because they changed the regulations to allow drones to fly at night, that's why everybody's seeing them now. They've always been there. I mean, look, people are not buying the answers," Johnson said. "We are digging in further to get the answers, and we're demanding that the administration do its job. We gotta protect Americans, protect our intelligence, of course, and our data and everything else. We're going to get down to the bottom of it, but we don't have the answers yet."

Johnson referenced how Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC News on Monday that there are thousands of drones flown every day in the U.S., and that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in September 2023 "changed the rules so that drones could fly at night, and that may be one of the reasons why now people are seeing more drones than they did before, especially from dawn until dusk." 

Mayorkas also said it was "critical" for Congress to expand authorities for state and local agencies to counter drone activity "under federal supervision." 

Johnson reacted to President Biden telling reporters at the White House on Tuesday that there was "nothing nefarious" happening with the drones, and that so far, there has been "no sense of danger."

"This is why we need Donald J. Trump back in the White House to bring steady hands at the wheel and a strong commander-in-chief," Johnson said. "He would have already had the answers, he would have already delivered to the American people and certainly to members of Congress. So leadership matters. That's why he got the mandate. That's why the American people can't wait for the America First agenda to start, and we can't wait either."

Federal authorities said Monday evening that the reported drone sightings have been identified as legal commercial drones, hobbyist drones and law enforcement drones, as well as manned aircraft, helicopters and even stars. Officials said that assessment was based on technical data and tips.

The House Intelligence Committee grilled federal law enforcement and intelligence officials about the drones during a closed-door meeting on Tuesday, Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., told CNN. 

Authorities told the panel there still is no evidence of public safety or national security threats, Himes said.

Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday that drone-detection equipment supplied by the federal government has yielded little new information. He declined to describe the equipment, except to say it was powerful and could even disable the drones, though he said that is not legal on U.S. soil. Murphy urged Congress to give states more authority to deal with the drones.

TRUMP TALKS MYSTERY DRONES, TIKTOK BAN, RFK JR. AND MORE IN HOUR-LONG PRESS CONFERENCE

Meanwhile, the FBI and New Jersey state police warned against pointing lasers at suspected drones, because aircraft pilots are being hit in the eyes more often. Authorities also said they are concerned people might fire weapons at manned aircraft that they have mistaken for drones.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday that the federal government has yet to identify any public safety or national security risks from any of the reported drone sightings in the northeast, saying officials believe they were lawfully flown drones, planes or stars.

"There are more than 1 million drones that are lawfully registered with the Federal Aviation Administration here in the United States," Kirby said. "And there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones that are lawfully in the sky on any given day. That is the ecosystem that we are dealing with."

The federal government has deployed personnel and advanced technology to investigate the reports in New Jersey and other states, and is evaluating each tip reported by citizens, he said.

About 100 of the more than 5,000 drone sightings reported to the FBI in recent weeks were deemed credible enough to warrant more investigation, according to a joint statement by DHS, FBI, FAA and the Department of Defense. 

Speculation has raged online, with some expressing concerns that the drones could be part of a nefarious plot by foreign agents.

Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said it Is unlikely the drones are engaged in intelligence gathering, given how loud and bright they are. He repeated Tuesday that the drones being reported are not being operated by the Department of Defense. When asked whether military contractors might be operating drones in the New Jersey area, Ryder rebuffed the notion, saying there are "no military operations, no military drone or experiment operations in this corridor."

Ryder said additional drone-detecting technology was being moved to some military installations, including the Picatinny Arsenal and at Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey, where drones also have been reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The FBI field office in Newark urged New Jersey residents this week not to shoot down drones or point lasers at manned aircraft, taking to social media to warn against the dangerous — and possibly deadly — activity, which comes amid an uptick in reported drone sightings along the U.S. East Coast.

The drone sightings have prompted a collective sense of panic among residents, who have taken to social media to share photos and videos of believed drones captured in the darkened U.S. skies. The shared sense of fear-mongering has also prompted some vigilante-like responses, with some social media users documenting efforts to take matters into their own hands, including via laser beam. 

In the statement, released by the FBI and New Jersey State Police, authorities expressly warned against such activities, citing an increase in pilots of manned aircraft in the area who have been hit in the eyes with lasers after being misidentified as a drone by someone on the ground. 

'DRONE' SIGHTINGS IN THE NORTHEAST SPARK 'UNFOUNDED' PANIC, SAYS EXPERT

Officials said there is also a concern that people on the ground could also mistakenly fire weapons at what they believe to be an Unmanned Aircraft Systems, or UAS, but is in fact a manned aircraft.

"FBI Newark, NJSP, and dozens of other agencies and law enforcement partners have been out every night for several weeks to legally track down operators acting illegally or with nefarious intent and using every available tool and piece of equipment to find the answers the public is seeking," the authorities said in the statement. "However, there could be dangerous and possibly deadly consequences if manned aircraft are targeted mistakenly as UAS."

They also noted how easy it can be for an individual on the ground to mistake a manned aircraft for a UAS. 

"Misidentification often occurs when UAS are mistaken for more familiar objects such as manned aircraft, low-orbit satellites, or celestial bodies like planets or stars," they said. 

"To improve accuracy and prevent false sightings, a variety of tools and techniques can be used to assist with the visual identification of suspected UAS. Accurate identification is critical for maintaining safety and ensuring appropriate responses to UAS activity."

MORE THAN 20 DAYS INTO PHENOMENON, PENTAGON STILL HAS NO ANSWERS ABOUT ORIGINS OF MYSTERIOUS NJ DRONES

The statement from the FBI field office and state police comes as New Jersey residents and lawmakers have voiced frustrations about the uptick in drone sightings and what they view as a lack of answers they have been given by the federal government in response.

Still, U.S. officials have sought to emphasize that the aircraft in question are not, in fact, a national security threat. Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, stressed to reporters during a briefing Tuesday that the drones are any sort of government asset, and ruled out the notion that they were any part of "experimental program" being tested by the U.S.

In a joint statement Monday, the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense said that, while they "recognize the concern" from the general public, there is no evidence that the drones are "anomalous" or a threat to public safety or to U.S. national security.

Separately, senior officials from the CIA, FBI, and DOD traveled to Capitol Hill Tuesday afternoon to brief lawmakers on the House Intelligence Committee on the uptick in drone sightings.

It is unclear, however, how far these efforts have gone to thwart the rise in public concerns.

The FBI said Monday that it has received more than 5,000 reports of alleged drone sightings in the last "few weeks" — reflecting the rise in panic from some residents, including many who have taken to social media to document their sightings on social media. 

Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, R-Conn., used an interview on "Fox News Sunday" to call on more federal agencies — including the Federal Aviation Administration — to share more information about the drone sightings with the public.

"The FAA in particular, which is the agency of jurisdiction through the domestic skies, ought to be out Saturday morning saying, ‘Let’s show you a picture at the number of aircraft, commercial and private and military, that go over New Jersey in any 24-hour period,’" Himes said.

"Just putting information out there to fill that vacuum would be helpful," he added.

The mysterious drones in New Jersey hit close to home for Mike Francesa.

The radio legend, of course, is a New York native but made his voice heard on many cars and television throughout the bordering state.

In typical Francesa fashion, a fan asked for his thoughts on the drones, and he opened up.

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"I have two thoughts on the subject. And I’m not a UFO guy. I don’t know what’s out there. Don’t pretend to know what’s out there," Francesa began. "The government has taken a very cavalier attitude. I don’t believe this stuff about ‘foreign countries have ships off our shore.’ No one has a ship off our shore. We would know it was there in two seconds. Nobody is letting any foreign country fly stuff over our country. I don’t believe that for a second. I think some of them are commercially being tested by companies that want to deliver things, like Amazon. I think part of it is our military testing stuff, and working on things at night, and they don’t want to really spend a lot of time discussing it with us.

"I think the idea that they have taken such a cavalier approach to it makes you realize that when they keep telling you that there’s nothing to worry about, that should pretty much tip you off that they know what they’re doing here," he said.

DRONE MYSTERY BEFUDDLES NEW JERSEY OFFICIALS, FRUSTRATES RESIDENTS

Well, the government says Francesa has nothing to be afraid of. In a statement penned by the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense, the agencies said while they "recognize the concern," there is no evidence that the drones are "anomalous" or a threat to national security or public safety.

"Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones," the statement said.

Though the agencies said they have found no risk during their investigation thus far, they have urged Congress to enact legislation when it returns that would "extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any threat that may emerge."

Fox News' Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.

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Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced Monday that he will move to advance drone legislation this week that will give local officials more authority to respond to the growing concerns of drone sightings.

Reports of drones flying over New Jersey and New York, particularly near military research facilities and Trump’s Bedminster golf course, have prompted lawmakers to press the Biden administration for more transparency when it comes to who is flying the suspected unmanned aircraft and why the government is not doing anything about them.

Schumer has called on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to "quickly deploy" any drone-detecting tools that are available to help New York and New Jersey deal with the mysterious drone sightings that started a few weeks ago.

"This week, I will also come to the floor of the Senate to seek passage of legislation that will give local officials greater authority to swiftly respond to these sightings," Schumer said while speaking on the Senate floor on Monday. "The reports of the past few weeks have ignited immense anxiety and confusion for millions of people living across the Northeast. Thankfully, there is no reason to believe these drone sightings pose a national security threat, but even so they can be disruptive if they fly over restricted airspace particularly near airports or bases."

SCHUMER REQUESTS 360-DEGREE RADAR SYSTEM FOR NY, NJ TO DETECT DRONES

He continued, saying there was no shortage of reports of possible drone activity, yet there are few answers being provided about where some of the drones originated from and who was operating them.

Local officials lack the resources and authority to find the underlying cause of the matter, Schumer added.

NJ DRONE SIGHTINGS COULD BE A ‘CLASSIFIED EXERCISE’: FORMER CIA OFFICER

Along with seeking the Senate’s help in passing the legislation, Schumer also urged the DHS to take all necessary action to deploy as many drone-detecting resources as possible.

One of those technologies is the Robin Radar System, which, according to its website, notes "bird, bat, or drone, our 360° radar systems log thousands of observations, scanning every second to track and classify with precision."

DRONE MYSTERY CONTINUES IN NEW JERSEY AS EXPERTS OFFER NEW THEORIES ABOUT SIGHTINGS

Schumer said systems like Robin would go a long way to help local officials collect real data about where these drones are coming from.

"I want to see a flock of ROBIN-like technology systems deployed across the New York City metro area," he said. "So, we need the Department of Homeland Security to spring into action."

The House Intelligence Committee will receive a classified briefing on the drone activity on Tuesday afternoon, a source familiar with the matter told Punchbowl News. The news agency also said Biden administration officials from the FBI, Department of Defense, CIA, and Office of the Director of National Intelligence will hold the briefing.

Fox News Digital's Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.

The mysterious drone phenomenon centered in New Jersey has prompted government officials to issue fresh calls for expanded power as their counter-drone authorization is set to expire this week. 

The current drone-countering authorities — authorized as part of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 — grant both the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) authority to use advanced detection technologies to identify, track and intercept drones that aren’t complying with the law.

The 2018 measure exempts the agencies from other laws that prevent interference with aircraft and wiretapping without a warrant. It expires on Dec. 20, and lawmakers must attach a last-minute extension to a stopgap spending bill to fund the government this week in order to prevent a lapse. 

But government officials say the 11th hour, piecemeal approach harms their ability to counter drone threats.

"We cannot appropriately budget, we can’t strategically plan for the future," Steven Willoughby, deputy director of the Department of Homeland Security’s counter-drone office, said during a security forum last week. 

"The administration has been seeking, for several years now, additional authorities to expand the counter-UAS authorities, both of the federal government, which are themselves very limited, and also to give state and local authorities the authority to use certain C-UAS technologies with federal oversight," a senior Biden administration official told reporters on a call over the weekend. "That legislation has been pending."

DRONE MYSTERY: NEW JERSEY HOMEOWNERS THREATEN TO TAKE MATTERS INTO THEIR OWN HANDS IF GOVERNMENT DOESN'T ACT

A DHS official said that while there is "no known malicious activity in New Jersey," the sightings there "highlight a gap in our current authorities, and so we would also urge Congress to pass our important counter-UAS legislation." 

The White House-backed Counter-UAS Authority, Security and Reauthorization Act of 2024 would expand the government’s drone authorities and renew them until 2028 — and add new state and local drone authorities. 

But a separate, bipartisan House plan would scale back the proposed state and local authorities in favor of authorizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to take down drones, instead of just regulating their use in airspace. 

But lawmakers don’t have time to hash out their disputes over which agency should get what authority before agencies lose their powers entirely — so the narrow extension of authority attached to the stopgap measure is only expected to last a matter of months.

DRONE EXPERTS RULE OUT US GOVERNMENT EXPERIMENT, UNSURE OF OTHER NEW JERSEY DRONE PHENOMENON THEORIES

For nearly a month, New Jersey residents have alerted authorities to sightings of mysterious drones, some as wide as six feet, hovering in the sky at night. Sightings have ranged from 4 to 180, and some of them seem to be operating in a coordinated manner, and some unmanned aerial systems have been spotted near the Army's Picatinny Arsenal and Naval Weapons Station Earle.

Law enforcement has been able to offer little explanation for the phenomenon — but steered the public away from the assumption that the drones originate with a foreign adversary. 

"To date, we have no intelligence or observations that would indicate that they were aligned with a foreign actor or that they had malicious intent," a Defense Department official told reporters over the weekend. "But I just got to simply tell you we don’t know."

"We have not been able to locate or identify the operators or the points of origin. We have very limited authorities when it comes to moving off base," the official added. 

"We’re also significantly restricted, and rightfully so — in fact, prohibited — from intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance here in the homeland." 

Additional unauthorized drone sightings have been recorded near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, where officials closed the airspace for four hours due to the sighting, and Ramstein U.S. Air Force Base in Germany in recent days. 

As unknown airborne craft traverse the night skies in parts of the United States, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called upon the Department of Homeland Security to deploy 360-degree radar systems capable of detecting drones to the New York and New Jersey region. 

"Our local people who have questions about these drones should not have to shake an eight ball to get an answer," Schumer said, holding up a magic eight ball toy in one hand and an image of a drone in another. 

"They want real answers, and the Robin can supply those answers, and that's why we want them here," Schumer said, likely referencing the Dutch company Robin Radar Systems, which produces such systems.

NJ DRONE SIGHTINGS COULD BE A ‘CLASSIFIED EXERCISE’: FORMER CIA OFFICER

The website of Robin Radar Systems notes, "Bird, bat, or drone, our 360° radar systems log thousands of observations, scanning every second to track and classify with precision."

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement on Sunday, "In response to my calls for additional resources, our federal partners are deploying a state-of-the-art drone detection system to New York State." 

Fox News Digital reached out to DHS, Hochul's office, and Schumer's office for comment. 

DRONE MYSTERY CONTINUES IN NEW JERSEY AS EXPERTS OFFER NEW THEORIES ABOUT SIGHTINGS

"DHS responds to Congressional inquiries directly via official channels, and the Department will continue to respond appropriately to Congressional oversight," a DHS spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Department of Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas said during an appearance on ABC's "This Week" that some of the sightings have been drones while "some are manned-aircraft that are commonly mistaken for drones."

He said "we know of no foreign involvement" related to "the sightings in the north-east." 

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"Mystery Drone sightings all over the Country. Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge. I don’t think so!" President-elect Donald Trump declared last week in a post on Truth Social. "Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!"

A New Jersey state Senator is calling on Gov. Phil Murphy to declare a state of emergency to ground all drones as a way of getting to the bottom of ongoing reports of unmanned craft swarming the Garden State in recent weeks. 

State Sen. Jon Bramnick, a Republican, told "Cavuto Live" on Saturday that he also wants the FAA to join in the state of emergency as the public becomes increasingly frustrated with a lack of answers as to what is going on in the skies. 

Bramnick says he has contacted Murphy about enacting a state of emergency but has not gotten a response.  

DRONE MYSTERY BEFUDDLES NEW JERSEY OFFICIALS, FRUSTRATES RESIDENTS

"I've gotten silence and we met with the state police [who] have no information. Can you imagine? The Department of Defense must have some serious secret if we can't get any information on car-sized drones flying over our military bases."

A series of unidentified drone sightings near U.S. military installations and over residences have been spotted in New Jersey since mid-November, including President-elect Trump’s Bedminster golf course, which is causing alarm. Apparent drones have also been spotted in New York City, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, among other states, as well as over three US airbases in the UK.

White House national security communications adviser John Kirby has said many of the purported drone sightings are actually lawfully operated manned aircraft and that there is no evidence of a national security or public safety threat.

FORMER GOVERNOR SPOTS MYSTERY DRONES IN MARYLAND, BLASTS FEDS FOR LACK OF TRANSPARENCY

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday said the government doesn't have the authority to shoot down drones and believes reports of some sightings are cases of mistaken identity.

The apparent lack of transparency about the situation has fueled conspiracy theories and raised national security concerns that a foreign entity may be behind the mysterious sightings. 

The government’s dismissal of witness reports is also irking residents who believe the government's answers are insufficient. Some have threatened to take matters into their own hands and shoot them down.

"Every time someone comes out of the top secret briefing, we get the same answer," Bramnick said. "’Well, we need more information,’ but apparently it's not a threat. Now, I don't know how they're determining that. The Defense Department must be speaking to someone because they're surely not speaking to any of the residents in New Jersey."

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"The Department of Defense has to explain why they don't know what a car-sized drone is doing, where it came from, where it's going. Is it sinister? Is there some sort of threat? Don't you think the Department of Defense should have that information? The technology is there."

Bramnick says that the state does not have the proper equipment or resources to deal with drones. He notes that the Garden State only has two state helicopters, and when one of those choppers was sent up to investigate a drone, its lights turned off and it fled. 

"Now, that's an indication that the drone is not here for a good purpose, otherwise I assume somebody operating the drone would tell the state police what they're doing. That's why we have to ground all drones at this time," Bramnick added. 

An uptick in alleged drone sightings along the East Coast touched off a flurry of panicked calls for investigation on Friday from residents and state lawmakers, even as public officials stress the aircraft in question are, in fact, being flown lawfully, and a retired port authority aviation expert tells Fox News Digital that fears are overblown.

The drone complaints began pouring in last month in New Jersey, where witnesses and residents first began reporting drone sightings off of coastal areas, including off of Cape May, a scenic town located outside of Atlantic City.

More recently, lawmakers in New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Maryland have reported new alleged drone sightings in their home states, with some witnesses alleging the aircraft in question have been the "size of cars" or seen flying above sensitive infrastructure or in restricted airspace.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, told reporters on Friday he had written to President Biden to share his concerns about the fresh reports of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) sightings in New Jersey airspace, and called for more federal resources to investigate the issue.

"It has become apparent that more resources are needed to fully understand what is behind this activity," Murphy wrote in the letter.

DRONE MYSTERY: NEW JERSEY HOMEOWNERS THREATEN TO TAKE MATTERS INTO THEIR OWN HANDS IF GOVERNMENT DOESN'T ACT

Other lawmakers in the state have gone even further, calling for the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to join in their investigations into the unmanned aircraft, with one Garden State lawmaker urging the objects be "shot down" if necessary.

​​"We are literally being invaded by drones," Pequannock Mayor Ryan Herbwe told reporters on Wednesday night following a town hall meeting in New Jersey. 

"We have no idea who is doing [this] and where they're coming from." 

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., issued a statement on Friday citing concerns "about the potential for these unmanned aerial vehicles — many of which are as large as a car — to disrupt air traffic and, more alarmingly, to be used maliciously to threaten national security."

These remarks have added to a growing collective sense of panic — but a panic that many in the law enforcement community say is both unfounded and unnecessary. 

White House national security communications adviser John Kirby sought to assuage these fears, stressing during a press briefing Thursday that there is "no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus." 

Others in the law enforcement community also echoed this sentiment. Retired Port Authority Police Detective Lt. John Ryan told Fox News Digital in an interview Friday that the uptick in activity is likely due to two things.

HOMEOWNERS THREATEN TO TAKE MATTERS INTO THEIR OWN HANDS IF GOVERNMENT DOESN’T ACT

The first, he said, is that drones are a fast-evolving technology that has seen a boom in both recreational and commercial use in the U.S. in the last 10 years. Federal data on drone registration reflects this sharp uptick in use, most if not all of which is legal. As of October of this year, there were more than 790,000 drones registered with the Federal Aviation Association (FAA), and nearly 400,000 registered commercial drones. 

That's "just to give you an idea" of the magnitude of the number of legal drones in the U.S., said Ryan, whose extensive police career included serving for a decade as the emergency service special operations commander at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, and then later, the chief officer of the Port Authority, whose role includes oversight of all transportation facilities, including Kennedy, LaGuardia and all other airports and ports in the area.

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The second mistake, Ryan said, is that the individuals in question are asking the wrong authorities for help.

"The mistake I see people making is that they're going to the wrong agencies and asking these questions," he added.

The FAA is the federal body tasked with registering drones and other U.S. aircraft. It’s also the one tasked with monitoring recreational and commercial drone use in the U.S.

"In New Jersey, they've been asking the FBI, they've been asking the Department of Homeland Security — they've been asking everybody except the people that they should be asking," said Ryan.

The Pentagon also reiterated this view, noting that an initial assessment had shown the drones were not from another country, and were not shot down because they were not deemed a threat to national security.

Kirby echoed this sentiment on Thursday. Asked whether the U.S. would consider banning drone use in U.S. airspace, he told reporters, "I don't know that we're at a stage right now where we're considering that" as a policy option.

A top New Jersey lawmaker is proposing legislation to form a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the Garden State, modeling it after the one Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Ohio entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are forming at the federal level.

"We need it more" than Washington, Senate Minority Whip Joe Pennacchio, R-Boonton, said. 

"We're mirroring what the federal government and what those two gentlemen are doing."

Pennacchio, who also previously worked under former Republican Gov. Donald DiFrancesco on economic development, said NJDOGE would take on a state budget that has increased 60% in the past seven fiscal years.

DRONE ACTIVITY NEAR TRUMP-BEDMINSTER, PICATINNY ARSENAL SPURS NJ FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS

"A lot of those increases were one-shots, when they borrowed money during the period of COVID. You're not going to get that back. … They haven’t even spent it all. Those one-shots, they’re all gone.

"I’ve seen estimates of a budget deficit next year of maybe $4 billion. Next year is the governor’s race. We will have a new governor, and regardless of who comes in — Republican or Democrat — it would be nice to have a committee together to give them a blueprint of what we can or should not do."

He said the state does have a "red tape" commission set up by former Gov. Chris Christie to trim regulations, adding it hasn’t borne results.

"Every dollar we save is $1 less that [Trenton] has to raise taxes," Pennacchio said. 

Pennacchio’s committee, if approved, would consist of one member from the state Treasury, one from the Chamber of Commerce, the top Republican and Democrat from the Senate and General Assembly and one public member appointed by the governor.

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"[N]ot only can we start to chip away at our exacerbated affordability crisis by cutting wasteful spending and ensuring efficiency, we can also ease the financial burden for our constituents across the Garden State by lowering the onslaught of taxes and fees," Pennacchio said.

At least one other state senator is planning to endorse the idea but has not yet done so publicly. Fox News Digital also reached out to representatives of the General Assembly for their reaction to the senator’s legislation.

Despite being long viewed as a reliably "blue" state, New Jersey came within about four points of electing Donald Trump instead of Vice President Kamala Harris. Political analysts pointed to the results as evidence of a tidal shift in public opinion toward government spending, among other subjects.

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Trump twice won Morris County and flipped Passaic County in 2024, parts of which Pennacchio represents. The lawmaker said his constituents are on board with his NJDOGE proposal and that they’ve similarly recognized disparities in the funding support they receive from Trenton.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump Transition for comment on the plan.

"My district is a district that is getting the bills. Schools in my district are seeing cuts while schools in other districts are not seeing cuts," Pennacchio said.

"It is stuff like this that we should look at. … If the legislature sees fit that they still want to subsidize this nonsense, then that's fine. They’ll be on record.

"Let's greet the next new governor with outlines of what they can do, where there are cost savings, where things can be eliminated; that will stimulate the economy, maybe decrease taxes on the people."

The 2025 field for that governor’s race is packed, with several top names in both partisan primaries.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, former Senate Leader Steve Sweeney and representatives Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer round out the Democratic choices.

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Truck driver and former state Sen. Ed Durr, Sen. Jon Bramnick, conservative journalist Bill Spadea and 2021 gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli are the top names on the Republican side.

State Sen. Robert Singer, R-Lakewood, also joined Pennacchio's call for a NJDOGE.

"With President Trump's plan to bring business back to the U.S., New Jersey has the chance to lead the charge. It's time to restore our state's manufacturing glory with high-paying jobs," Singer said.

"Let's make New Jersey the blueprint for the Make America Work Again movement, starting with a statewide DOGE."

Recently, large drones have been spotted across Pennacchio’s district, making nationwide news.

Pennacchio slammed the feds for offering Jerseyans few answers on the aircraft, saying that when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in 2001, government officials knew right away who orchestrated it.

"We even had some face time with the Department of Homeland Security (about the drones). They were useless. … They should be ashamed of themselves. The FBI director, he checked out. [Christopher Wray] already announced that he's leaving. … So who's minding the store here?"

Drone experts have little idea what the dozens of drone sightings over New Jersey could be, but have ruled out the possibility that they might be the work of a classified government program. 

They say the lack of a clear image or any residual hardware makes it difficult to make any guesses. 

"Until something is found, it’s really difficult to say," said Brett Velicovich, Fox News contributor and CEO of Expert Drones. "We haven’t seen any clear images."

The drone sightings were first reported nearly a month ago – on Nov. 18 – and have been spotted every night from about dusk until around 11 p.m.

The drones are "six feet in diameter," fly in a coordinated way with their lights off and "appear to avoid detection by traditional methods," according to New Jersey state Rep. Dawn Fantasia, who relayed a briefing given by law enforcement. Reports have ranged from four to 180 sightings per night, throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

With little information on their origin from law enforcement, public speculation has run wild. 

Velicovich poured cold water on the idea that the drones could be part of a classified government test – one theory circulated to explain the lack of information shared with the public. 

"I find it hard to believe," said Velicovich. "Maybe it started that way, and now people think everything they see is a drone . . . . I’ve seen a lot of images that look like planes. 

But he said that when he worked on classified drone projects, the protocol was always to inform local police. 

MORE THAN 20 DAYS INTO PHENOMENON, PENTAGON STILL HAS NO ANSWERS ABOUT ORIGINS OF MYSTERIOUS NJ DRONES

"There's a reason why we test stuff in Area 51 or all these remote locations, so that you don't have to cause public hysteria. And then when we would test stuff in cities, we would always, whenever we do secret exercises in cities, we would always inform the local police." 

Stacie Pettyjohn, drone expert with the Center for New American Security, agreed. "They would be doing it on a military base or a testing facility. And you know, they're not overflying sort of sensitive industrial locations, like they have been in New Jersey." 

Both experts agreed that what could have started off as drones may now have developed into a public panic, where everything in the air is assumed to be a drone. They said it could also be photographic drones looking to pick up images of the drone phenomenon, adding to the panic. 

"People are gonna start to see what they expect to see," said Pettyjohn. 

"No one has shown me a clear photograph of a drone," said Velicovich. 

"Either it's just overblown right now, and everything in the air is a drone, or, you've got a lot of planes in the area that are probably trying to pick up, take photographs and detect stuff and see what's really going on."

The FBI, in a statement, suggested that many of the drone sightings had turned out to be planes.

"We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security  or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus," a joint FBI and Department of Homeland Security statement said Thursday. 

"We are supporting local law enforcement in New Jersey with numerous detection methods but have not corroborated any of the reported visual sightings with electronic detection. To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully. There are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted airspace."

​​NEW JERSEY DRONE SIGHTINGS: MILITARY ANALYSTS BREAK DOWN NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS, DOUBT HOBBYISTS AT PLAY

The FBI revealed this week its budget for counter-drone technology is a mere $500,000 per year. 

Earlier this week, Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., said that the drones may be linked to an Iranian "mothership," a theory that prompted the Pentagon to say that it had seen no evidence the drones could have come from a U.S. adversary. 

Velicovich said he "isn’t sold" that the drones are foreign in origin, but U.S. adversaries would have the capability to be behind the occurrences. 

"If we go with the theory that it's foreign, China, Russia, Iran, they all have systems that can travel over large amounts of terrain, over oceans and and carry other drones with it. So that's not the difficult thing that's happening every single day right now in countries like Ukraine." 

Pettyjohn assumed that the drones would need to be operated by someone within the U.S. 

"I would assume that it's someone who's here locally, which may be a spy, which may be a nefarious actor, but that they're they're individuals on the ground, and it's just easier to blend in and difficult to identify who they are and where they are with these rather innocuous systems," she said. 

"They can be in the air probably on the order of, like, five hours or so, or less, and a lot of them, it's way less than that. And that just means that they have to be someone probably physically here, [who] is flying them." 

China expert Gordon Chang mused that the drones could be an adversary merely looking to offer a form of distraction. 

If it were intended as an attack, "you wouldn't put on this big display over the course of days . . . with these very large objects and flashing lights. You're not going to advertise a drone attack on the U.S.," Chang said. 

"I think that they're trying to attract our attention, distract us from something that's happening elsewhere," he said. "So, I worry about what is going on that we're not paying attention to because of the drones."

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said he is "frustrated" by the government's lack of transparency surrounding the recent drone sightings in his state and surrounding areas in the mid-Atlantic region.

On Capitol Hill on Thursday, the senator said that he has issued a letter asking for more information because Americans should be aware of what is happening in the skies.

"I’ve been a little frustrated," he told reporters. "There hasn't been enough transparency letting people know what's happening. It's allowing a lot of potentially misinformation to spread, or at least fear. We should know what's going on over our skies."

LEGISLATORS ACROSS POLITICAL SPECTRUM ‘EQUALLY ANGRY’ OVER HANDLING OF DRONE SIGHTINGS: NEW JERSEY LAWMAKER

Booker said he has been hearing from his constituents and other elected leaders, all of whom share his concerns about the mysterious drones.

"We have agencies and organizations from the government that should be able to provide a lot more information than the public has," he said, adding that the public should have "good information" on a situation that is "understandably concerning."

The senator also worries that the lack of transparency about the drones could potentially fuel misinformation.

"I've heard a lot of things about them, and again, I want to make sure that we have all the facts," he said.

NEW JERSEY RESIDENT CAPTURES VIDEO OF SUSPECTED DRONES HOVERING OUTSIDE HER HOME

When asked if he thinks the drones should be shot down, Booker had an opinion differing from fellow congressman, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who clearly stated they should be, if necessary.

"Safety first. You're over populous neighborhoods and areas," Booker said. "I think the most important thing right now is the safety and security of our communities, but we should know what's going on."

Large drones were first spotted in New Jersey on Nov. 18, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed earlier this month. 

The White House said in a daily press briefing on Thursday that a newly-started investigation into the drones has not revealed anything malicious, criminal or threatening to national security, thus far.

A New Jersey lawmaker says he "can't believe" how the government is wording its investigation into recent drone sightings across northeast America.

State Assemblyman Paul Kanitra joined "Fox News @ Night" on Thursday to discuss the bipartisan outrage at how the government is handling the drone sightings.

"We're a polarized society, but I can tell you when we were in ‘The Rock,’ our security building in New Jersey, and we had a hundred state legislators from across the political spectrum – upper house, lower house – everyone was equally angry at this situation," Kanitra said.

NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR RECEIVING BACKLASH FOR LACK OF CLARITY ON DRONE SIGHTINGS

The first drone sighting took place in New Jersey on Nov. 18, the Federal Aviation Administration said earlier this month, prompting the agency to issue two temporary flight restrictions.

Kanitra said he learned during an intelligence briefing for state legislators on Wednesday that there have been confirmed drone sightings "every night since then."

In a Facebook post, Kanitra said he implored the Department of Homeland Security during that briefing to "take swift and decisive action" against the drones, describing the situation as "infuriating."

NJ LAWMAKER FIRES BACK AFTER PENTAGON DISMISSES CLAIM DRONES MAY BE LINKED TO IRAN: 'WEAKNESS AND STUPIDITY'

On Thursday, the White House said an investigation is in its beginning stages, but nothing, thus far, has revealed malicious or criminal intent, or a national security threat.

"If these are foreign adversaries with these drones, and we're a month into this already and we haven't done nearly enough, I can't believe that our government is wording this the way that they are," he said on "Fox News @ Night."

Kanitra took a picture from a distance of apparent drones in the New Jersey sky on Thursday night.

He said "these are not hobbyist drones" and the military should have the technology needed to get quality photos.

A U.S. Senator from Connecticut said the mysterious drones spotted recently flying over states in the mid-Atlantic region should be "shot down, if necessary."

In an interview on Capitol Hill Thursday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said intelligence analysis is needed on the drones and the U.S. must act "more aggressively" against the sightings that have been reported.

"We should be doing some very smart intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies, especially if they're flying over airports or military bases," the senator said. "They should be shot down, if necessary, because they're flying over sensitive areas."

Blumenthal also said the lack of information on the drones, who they belong to and where they have come from is "absolutely unacceptable."

DRONES SPOTTED OVER CONNECTICUT SKY IN LATEST PHENOMENON

His comments come as many large drones have been reported flying over New Jersey in the past few weeks. Drones were also allegedly spotted in Blumenthal's state for the first time on Thursday.

White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said Thursday that many of the alleged drones spotted recently are actually lawfully operated manned aircraft.

"We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus," Kirby told reporters at the daily White House press briefing. "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI are investigating these sightings, and they're working closely with state and local law enforcement to provide resources using numerous detection methods to better understand their origin."

Kirby also said, thus far, the investigation into the alleged drones has not revealed "any national security or malicious intent or criminal activity," but admitted the government is in the beginning stages of the investigation. 

MORE THAN 20 DAYS INTO PHENOMENON, PENTAGON STILL HAS NO ANSWERS ABOUT ORIGINS OF MYSTERIOUS NJ DRONES

Blumenthal said his office is asking for a briefing on the drones, describing it as "absolutely necessary" for Congress and the American people as many appear to be concerned and afraid.

"I'm hearing from constituents in the metropolitan area around New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, who are really terrified by these drones flying unidentified over airports and military bases," he said.

The senator added that the drones are causing a "level of fear, even terror" because people are worried about surveillance and airplanes flying in the same airspace.

He also encouraged Americans wanting to use drones to buy ones manufactured in the USA and not China, warning that they could be "sources of surveillance data for other kinds of security threats."

"Chinese manufactured drones are real and present [a] threat to the security of this country," Blumenthal said. "We have to stop using them."

More than three weeks after dozens of mysterious drones began popping up in the New Jersey night sky, the public has still been offered no clear insight on what the phenomenon could be. 

Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., suggested the swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles could be from an Iranian "mother ship." 

The Pentagon shot down his idea. 

"There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there’s no so-called mother ship launching drones towards the United States," said Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh. She added there is "no evidence" to suggest the drones are "the work of a foreign adversary." 

"We aren’t being told the truth," Van Drew responded Thursday on Fox News. "They are dealing with the American public like we’re stupid."

While the Pentagon maintains that the drones are not foreign, the FBI has admitted it is "concerned" about how little the agency knows about them.

Asked if Americans are "at risk," Robert Wheeler, FBI assistant director of the Critical Incident Response Group, told Congress: "There is nothing that is known that would lead me to say that, but we just don't know. And that's the concerning part."

In recent weeks, the drones have flown near sensitive sites, like a military research facility.

And if the drones aren’t foreign in origin, onlookers are left wondering why it’s taking U.S. agencies so long to figure out who is behind them. 

"What I can say is a lot of our detection systems, means of tracking and understanding, are so vastly undersized and radically out of date," Doug Birkey, executive director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, told Fox News Digital. 

"So it would not surprise me that we could still be out of sync with this and not understand at the level we should," he added. "After the Cold War, the notion of air defense really took a back burner." 

And Birkey remains unconvinced that the drones are not foreign in origin. 

"I don't think we can speak declaratively about the source, but obviously they seem of a certain sophistication, size and set of behaviors that would suggest high potential of being from an adversary source," he said. 

​​NEW JERSEY DRONE SIGHTINGS: MILITARY ANALYSTS BREAK DOWN NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS, DOUBT HOBBYISTS AT PLAY

"I think they are either using them for intel, imagery, etc., but they can also just be testing us to see what our responses are, to then help inform their strategies and their concepts of operation." 

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has insisted the drones do not pose a threat to public safety. The FBI is assisting local law enforcement in investigating and has called on the public for assistance through its tip line. 

It’s far from the first time unidentified drones have been seen flying near U.S. military installations. Last year, drones hovered near Langley Air Force Base for over two weeks, and their origin has still not been revealed. Before that, a Chinese spy balloon traversed the U.S., traipsing near military installations, for a week before being shot down off the East Coast. 

"There are seemingly few hard consequences [for the drones], and that is causing a very dangerous risk of escalation." 

None of the New Jersey drones have been shot down or had their systems jammed by U.S. officials. The drones that hovered near Langley were not intercepted either. 

"Whoever is flying these drones does not necessarily care about their relationship with Federal Aviation Administration, the FAA, because clearly they’re breaking almost every rule the FAA has in place for safe drone flying," said Pramod Abichandani, associate professor at NJIT’s School of Applied Engineering and a drone expert. 

"These drones are flying at night, over populated areas, flying around in a group, whether they’re being programmed as a swarm of drones or not," he said. "All of those things are not permitted freely by the FAA."

In military settings, officers use "swarms" of drones to attack enemies to make it harder for them to shoot the drones down. 

The drones are "six feet in diameter," fly in a coordinated way with their lights off and "appear to avoid detection by traditional methods," according to New Jersey state Rep. Dawn Fantasia, who relayed a briefing given by law enforcement. 

MYSTERIOUS DRONE SIGHTINGS CONTINUE TO BE REPORTED IN NEW JERSEY WITHOUT ANSWERS

The drones were first spotted on Nov. 18, and have been spotted every night since, flying from dusk to about 11 p.m. Reports have ranged from four to 180 sightings per night. 

"We know nothing. Period. To state that there is no known or credible threat is incredibly misleading, and I informed all officials of that sentiment," she said. 

"At this point, I believe military intervention is the only path forward. There will be no answers in the absence of proactivity."

U.S. Northern Command, the military command center in charge of defending the U.S. homeland, said it had not yet been asked to step in and help. 

"We are aware and monitoring the reports of unauthorized drone flights in the vicinity of military installations in New Jersey, to include Picatinny Arsenal and Naval Weapons Station Earle, and we refer you to those installations for information on any efforts they may be conducting to ensure the safety and security of their personnel and operations," a U.S. Nothern Command spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

House Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News he is getting a "classified briefing" Thursday in Washington on the mysterious drones that are being spotted flying across New Jersey. 

The Louisiana Republican, speaking to Fox News Senior Congressional Correspondent Chad Pergram, called the situation a "quandary." 

"I'm going to try to go get a classified briefing to see what we know, but the hearings have not yielded much yet," Johnson said. 

"It's a specific briefing today on that subject?" Pergram then asked. 

NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR SAYS FEDS HAVE AUTHORITY TO SHOOT DOWN DRONES, ‘WOULDN’T BE OPPOSED’ TO THEM PLAYING ‘MORE ROBUST ROLE’ 

 So I'm anxious to find out," Johnson responded. 

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy recently told WNYC that his state government is running down every theory of what the source of the drones could be.  

"I'm relying overwhelmingly on the experts in the federal government who do this for a living. There's no evidence that anything is armed," he said. "There's some theories out there. Again, we take nothing off the table. Even if somebody says something crazy with absolutely no evidence. We've been running everything down."  

NJ LAWMAKER CALLS ON DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO ‘IMMEDIATELY’ INVESTIGATE MYSTERY DRONE SIGHTINGS 

A New Jersey state senator is also calling on the Department of Defense to investigate the recent mysterious nighttime drone sightings amid rising public frustration over a lack of answers. 

"Let me be clear: The state police, this is way beyond their expertise … We know the Department of Defense has the technology to monitor these drones," State Sen. Jon Bramnick, R-N.J., told co-anchor John Roberts Wednesday on "America Reports." 

"The problem is we don't have the Department of Defense in New Jersey at this time. And that's what I call for. Until the Department of Defense comes in, shuts down airspace completely to drones, do a limited state of emergency – no drones in the sky until we figure out what's going on here," Bramnick warned. "But without the Department of Defense, we will have no information because the technology is way beyond state officials." 

Fox News’ Joshua Comins contributed to this report. 

A U.S. Coast Guard official said one of its vessels was trailed by dozens of drones off the coast of New Jersey recently, according to Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J.

Smith, a guest on "The Story with Martha MacCallum" Tuesday, said he spent Monday night on the beach in Ocean County and spoke to several people, including a U.S. Coast Guard commanding officer stationed in Barnegat Light.

Smith learned from the Coast Guard commander that the night before, "one of their 47-foot vessels, boats, was trailed very closely by more than a dozen of these drones."

"Now, that to me, is very, very, not just suspicious, provocative, and this could be a foreign power, whether it be [Vladimir] Putin, or it could be Xi Jinping in China, or the Middle East, we can’t rule any of that out," the congressman said.

NEW JERSEY DRONES: NORTHCOM NOT YET ASKED BY LOCAL OFFICIALS FOR HELP

The Coast Guard did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for confirmation on Smith’s account or comment.

Reports of large drones flying over different parts of the Garden State, including President-elect Trump’s Bedminster golf course and near military research sites, have been on the rise in recent weeks.

Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., said Wednesday that "very qualified" and "reliable" sources believe the mystery drones flying over New Jersey are originating from an Iranian "mother ship" parked off the U.S. East Coast.

FBI LEADER SAYS IT'S ‘CONCERNING’ HOW LITTLE HIS AGENCY KNOWS ABOUT MYSTERIOUS DRONES SEEN OVER NEW JERSEY

"Here is the real deal," Van Drew told Fox News’ Harris Faulkner. "I'm on the Transportation Committee, on the Aviation Subcommittee, and I've gotten to know people. And from very high sources, very qualified sources, very responsible sources. I'm going to tell you… Iran launched a mother ship probably about a month ago that contains these drones. That mothership is off the East Coast of the United States of America."

Van Drew did not provide the names of the sources who provided the information, citing confidentiality.

The lawmaker later said Iran made a deal with China to purchase drones, mother ships and technology.

NEW JERSEY DRONE SIGHTINGS: MILITARY ANALYSTS BREAK DOWN NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS, DOUBT HOBBYISTS AT PLAY

"…These drones should be shot down," Van Drew said. "Whether it was some crazy hobbyist that we can't imagine, or whether it is Iran – and I think it very possibly could be – they should be shot down. We are not getting the full deal, and the military is on alert with this."

Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh told Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin during a press briefing on Wednesday that there is no evidence that the mysterious drones spotted over New Jersey residential neighborhoods and military bases come from a foreign adversary.

Singh also said the drones pose no threat to U.S. military installations.

When asked about Van Drew’s comments, Singh said there is "not any truth" to his claims.

Fox News’ Liz Friden and Taylor Penley contributed to this report.

Democratic New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Rep. Josh Gottheimer admitted to manufacturing a Spotify Wrapped playlist in what he said was a "fun holiday tweet" that prominently featured New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen. 

"No surprises here…Fun fact: My first ever concert was at Meadowlands to see The Boss!" Gottheimer posted to X on Dec. 6, showcasing what appeared to be a Spotify screenshot of the songs he listened to most frequently in 2024. 

Music streaming platform Spotify releases yearly "wrapped" playlists each December that show a user’s top songs that year, which are then frequently shared by users, including politicians and celebrities. 

The top five songs on Gottheimer’s list were all Springsteen hits, including "Thunder Road," "Because the Night," "Glory Days," "Badlands" and "The Rising." Springsteen has found national acclaim across his decades in the music industry, while in his home state of New Jersey, he is considered a local legend with widespread popularity. 

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN ‘WAS NOT COMFORTABLE’ IN LOS ANGELES OR NEW YORK, FEELS ‘SAFE’ IN NEW JERSEY

Following Gottheimer’s post, speculation grew that the Spotify list appeared doctored or manufactured, with New Jersey Monitor first questioning on Monday if the screenshot was authentic. 

NJ.com reported on Tuesday that there were discrepancies with the font and spacing of Gottheimer’s screenshot compared to organic Spotify Wrapped playlists. 

RADIO HOST HAS MESSAGE FOR BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN ENDORSING HARRIS: HE'S 'AGAINST THE PEOPLE IN HIS HOMETOWN'

Gottheimer admitted this week that ​​the screenshot he published to X was manufactured, while maintaining he is a Springsteen fan. 

"This would be my Spotify Wrapped if I didn’t share my account with my 12 and 15-year-old kids," Gottheimer said in a statement to NJ.com. "While it’s Springsteen all day for me — don’t get me wrong, I still love listening to Taylor Swift!"

Gottheimer added on X that the original post was simply a "fun holiday tweet" and that his love of "The Boss" should never be called into question. 

"To paraphrase the Boss: I wasn’t here for business baby, I was only here for fun. So just relax. This was a fun holiday tweet. It’s a joke to question my Springsteen creds, just ask my dog named Rosalita!" he posted to X Wednesday morning. "Let’s get back to what people do care about—lower taxes, lower costs!"

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS IN NEW INSTAGRAM VIDEO: 'VISION OF AMERICA'

History shows that the Garden State’s governors have frequently also been Springsteen fans.

Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who is term limited and not running in the state’s 2025 election, declared Sept. 23, 2023 "Bruce Springsteen Day" and reportedly mulled naming a rest stop after the rocker – and other notable NJ natives – but Springsteen "respectfully declined" the offer. 

Former Republican Gov. Chris Christie has a well-documented love of Springsteen’s music, including attending over 100 concerts and having a tribute band play at his inauguration, NJ.com reported. While former Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, when he served in the Senate, co-sponsored a resolution congratulating Springsteen on the 30th anniversary of the album "Born to Run" back in 2005. 

The New Jersey gubernatorial election will be held on Nov. 4, 2025. At least 10 candidates across both parties have thrown their hats in the ring, including former Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli and Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who recently garnered headlines for misidentifying the type of bomber aircraft her grandfather flew in World War II when announcing her run for the office. 

A New Jersey state senator called for a limited state of emergency Tuesday as the mystery surrounding large drones flying over the Garden State continues to deepen.

"The State of New Jersey should issue a limited state of emergency banning all drones until the public receives an explanation regarding these multiple sightings," Republican New Jersey state Sen. Jon Bramnick said in a press release.

Reports of large drones flying over President-elect Trump’s Bedminster golf course and near military research sites in New Jersey have been on the rise in recent weeks. On Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced there were dozens of reports of drones on Sunday alone.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that drones flying over New Jersey were not foreign, adding that President Biden has been made aware of the situation, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FBI are investigating.

FBI LEADER SAYS IT'S ‘CONCERNING’ HOW LITTLE HIS AGENCY KNOWS ABOUT MYSTERIOUS DRONES SEEN OVER NEW JERSEY

"So, we are certainly aware. The president is aware, so we are closely tracking the activity and coordinating closely with relevant agencies, including DHS and FBI, to continue to investigate these incidents," Jean-Pierre said before adding she did not have anything else to share. "Obviously, this is something the DHS and FBI are tracking very, very closely."

When pressed if the federal government had ruled out that the drones are being controlled by foreign entities, Jean-Pierre promptly responded, "Yeah."

The Federal Aviation Administration first received reports of drone activity Nov. 18 in Morris County, which is nearly 2 miles north of Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in Somerset County.

NEW JERSEY DRONE SIGHTINGS: MILITARY ANALYSTS BREAK DOWN NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS, DOUBT HOBBYISTS AT PLAY

Since then, sightings have occurred a few miles north of Bedminster in Mendham and Parsippany and other places across the Garden State.

On Monday, Murphy said there were 49 reports of drones Sunday, mostly in Hunterdon County. The Democratic governor said his numbers also included possible sightings and potentially the same drone being reported more than once.

Federal lawmakers from the state have expressed a degree of concern about the drones, regardless of the side of the aisle they stand on.

DRONE ACTIVITY NEAR TRUMP BEDMINSTER, ARMY ARSENAL SPURS NJ FLIGHT RESTRICTION: FAA

"My office has been in communication with Governor Murphy’s office and our federal agency partners," Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said in a post on X. "While the drones currently pose no known threat to the public, my team and I will continue to monitor the situation closely."

Booker also penned a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Tuesday, seeking better transparency and a comprehensive briefing on drone activity over New Jersey.

"Over the past several weeks, there have been multiple confirmed sightings of unexplained drone activity over New Jersey communities and military installations," Booker wrote. "I recognize the need to maintain operational security of ongoing investigations and that this situation requires complex Interagency coordination. 

"However, there is a growing sense of uncertainty and urgency across the state — from constituents and local officials alike — despite assurances that the drones pose no known threats to public safety. As such, I urge you to share any relevant information about these drone sightings with the public. Without transparency, I believe that rumors, fear, and misinformation will continue to spread."

NEW JERSEY GOV PHIL MURPHY CALLS FOR FEDERAL HELP AMID ‘VERY SOPHISTICATED’ DRONE SIGHTINGS: ‘WE NEED MORE’

Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., said in a statement to Fox News Digital that the recent drone sightings in New Jersey are "not only scary for residents." They point to the need for change in the state and in the U.S.

"There has been no transparency with the public, and this lack of communication is unacceptable," Van Drew said. "Constituents have been told the drones are not a threat, but no further information has been provided. People need, want and deserve answers now so they can stop worrying about their safety and privacy."

As concerns continue to mount, Robert Wheeler, the FBI's assistant director of the Critical IIncident Response Group, told Congress the federal agency knows concerningly little about the mysterious drones that have been spotted hovering over New Jersey.

When asked if Americans are at risk, Wheeler said, "There is nothing that is known that would lead me to say that, but we just don't know. And that's the concerning part."

While the FBI has been investigating the incidents, the agency has called on the public for additional information.

The FAA confirmed earlier this month that it had issued two flight restrictions in response to the questionable drone activity reported near Trump’s Bedminster golf club.

Upon request from "federal security partners," the agency issued two temporary flight restrictions.

One restriction covers an area near Solberg-Hunterdon County Airport that consists of airspace above Trump Bedminster. Flights are also banned over Picatinny Arsenal, a major U.S. Army hub in Dover, N.J., geared toward research and development via its CCDCAC armaments center.

The ban remained in place over Trump Bedminster through last week, snd the ban over Picatinny Arsenal will remain in place until Dec. 26.

Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers lives in New Jersey and has noticed the drones recently flying throughout the state. 

"Do you know what’s been going on in Jersey lately? And I’m not talking about the football, not talking about the football. There’s been some crazy things going on. There is some drones in the sky," Rodgers said during a recent appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show."

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who has held briefings with Homeland Security, the FBI, Secret Service and state police officials, told Fox News Monday he’s seen no evidence of concern for public safety. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

A video was shown of a drone in Bedminster, New Jersey, prompting Rodgers to ask, "What the hell is that?"

Rodgers noted the drone in the video is "large" and that he doesn’t know what is going on with the drones.

"There is other videos that I’ve seen, and I’ve talked to some friends of mine that are police officers — shoutout Mario. There’s some interesting things going on. Interesting things with the drones. I don’t know what’s going on with them. Maybe it’s just some kids messing around, maybe not though," Rodgers said. 

The Jets quarterback just wants answers about what the drones are being used for.

AARON RODGERS GETS TESTY WITH REPORTER WHEN ASKED TO REFLECT ON JETS' DREADFUL PLAYOFF DROUGHT

"They need to tell us what’s going on. It's military or not military, UAP or whatever the hell it is. But there’s people in Jersey, it’s people interested on what the hell is going on with these drones."

Fox News contributor Brett Velicovich thinks these drones may not be benign, adding another country may be operating the drones. 

The large drones have been spotted with smaller, more rapidly maneuverable drones, resembling what are referred to as "drone motherships" that have been deployed in Ukraine, Russia and China. The motherships launch smaller drones, which do not have the necessary range antennas to carry them a further distance. That suggests, according to Velicovich, that a foreign adversary could be at play in New Jersey. 

Murphy said there were 49 drone sightings Sunday night alone. And though that total might be somewhat exaggerated, "it's really frustrating that we don’t have more answers as to where they’re coming from and why they’re doing what they’re doing." 

Rodgers encouraged New Jersey residents to film what they see. 

"Film it. Film all of it, especially if you live out by Woody (Johnson) and (Donald) Trump’s course. Film everything," Rodgers said.

"Be safe out there all my fellow New Jerseyans, Be safe out there."

Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report. 

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A top FBI leader revealed the agency knows concerningly little about the mysterious drones that have been seen hovering over New Jersey. 

Asked if Americans are "at risk," FBI Assistant Director of the Critical Incident Response Group Robert Wheeler told Congress: "There is nothing that is known that would lead me to say that, but we just don't know. And that's the concerning part."

Dozens of drones have been spotted flying near sensitive sites like a military research facility in recent weeks.

The FBI has been investigating the incidents and has called on the public for additional information. 

According to Gov. Phil Murphy, there were 49 reports of drones on Sunday alone, mostly in Hunterdon County. 

The FBI assistant director’s comments came during a joint hearing of two Homeland Security subcommittees on unmanned aerial systems. 

NEW JERSEY DRONE SIGHTINGS: MILITARY ANALYSTS BREAK DOWN NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS, DOUBT HOBBYISTS AT PLAY

"We do not attribute that to an individual or a group yet. we're investigating, but I don't have an answer of who's responsible for that of, one or more people that are responsible for those, drone flights," said Wheeler. 

"That’s crazy, that’s madness that we don’t know what these drones are," said Rep. Anthony Gonzales, R-Texas. 

"There are a lot of Americans that are very frustrated right now that are essentially questioning where my taxpayer dollars going," he added,asking Wheeler how much of the FBI budget goes toward counter-drone efforts. 

About $500,000, Wheeler replied, goes to counter-drone technology and its deployment within the FBI. 

"No wonder we don't know what the hell's going on!" the congressman replied. 

MYSTERIOUS DRONE SIGHTINGS CONTINUE TO BE REPORTED IN NEW JERSEY WITHOUT ANSWERS

A top border official also revealed in the hearing that during a recent six-week period, Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) sensors recorded 6,900 drone flights within close proximity to U.S. borders, potentially threatening the lives of CBP officers and some of which had been carrying drugs. 

CBP could not engage with some 95 percent of those drones because they did not breach U.S. airspace but hovered just near the border. 

Keith Jones, CBP head of Air and Marine Operations, revealed that no money had been allocated to CBP for counter-drone procedures. 

Some drones as large as SUVS have been spotted hovering in the Garden State skies, as well as smaller, more rapidly maneuverable drones, resembling what’s referred to as "drone motherships" that have been deployed in Ukraine, Russia and China, Fox News contributor Brett Velicovich said. 

The motherships launch smaller drones, which do not have the necessary range-antennas to carry them over long distances. That suggests, according to Velicovich, that a foreign adversary could be at play in New Jersey. 

New Jersey authorities could not jam the drones due to Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) regulations.

Experts had first warned the U.S. lacks a clear counter-drone procedure after 17 unmanned vehicles traipsed into restricted airspace over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia last December. 

The mystery drones swarmed for more than two weeks. Lack of a standard protocol for such incursions left Langley officials unsure of what to do – other than allow the 20-foot-long drones to hover near their classified facilities. 

Brad Wiegmann, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for National Security, implored Congress to grant law enforcement agencies greater legal authority to shoot down drones that could be considered threats. 

"We need legal authority is that without it, use of the most effective types of drone detection and counter drone technologies could violate criminal laws, including those that prohibit destroying or disabling aircraft in flight and intercepting signals and communication," he said. 

The DOJ's current counter-drone authorities will lapse in just 10 days, and Wiegmann urged Congress to not only renew them but expand them. 

"The two most important issues for us are, number one, broadening the types of sites that law enforcement can protect from nefarious and suspicious drone users. So, for example, to cover as was mentioned in the opening statements, airports, critical infrastructure like power plants and chemical facilities," he went on. 

"Number two is my colleague from the FBI just mentioned. It's about empowering state and local law enforcement and operators of critical infrastructure to engage in counter-drone efforts nationwide. This is not a job the federal government can do alone."