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

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that the mystery drones flown across New Jersey in late 2024 were "authorized to be flown by the FAA" for research "and various other reasons" in the first press briefing of President Donald Trump's second 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.

(Gray News) - The drones that flew across New Jersey in recent months were authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. “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,” Leavitt said Tuesday.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt read a statement from President Trump which read in part, "this was not the enemy."

The unexplained, SUV-sized drones that caused a stir flying over the areas in the Northeast in November and December have returned. As of Sunday, Jan. 25.

The drones seen flying over New Jersey were authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration, the White House said on Tuesday. The drones were seen not only over the Garden State but over other states in November, Fox News reported.

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 White House clarified that many of the drones sighted over New Jersey and other parts of the country in late 2024 were authorized

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said reported drone sightings that sparked panic in New Jersey last month were drones authorized to fly by the Federal Aviation Administration and “not the enemy.

New Jersey residents were concerned over the mysterious drones that flew above their homes, sparking conspiracy theories about the source.