Senator on Whether Mystery Drones Are Aliens: 'Anything Is Possible'

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What's New

Senator Josh Hawley has weighed in on the speculation surrounding recently sighted mystery drones or UFOs, refusing to rule out the presence of extraterrestrials as an explanation.

The senior senator from Missouri noted in a Fox News interview that the government is avoiding clear answers on the drones, commonly referred to as unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and who might be behind them. Pressed on whether these unexplained sightings "could be aliens," Hawley laughed but left the door open, saying, "Anything is possible."

Newsweek contacted Hawley through an online form on his website for further comment outside of working hours on Wednesday.

Why It Matters

Hawley serves on the Senate Committees on the Judiciary, Homeland Security (DHS), and Governmental Affairs and acknowledges that the mystery drones present a significant challenge for U.S. defense and intelligence agencies.

His comments come amid heightened interest in UAPs following recent sightings of mystery drones across the eastern U.S. and even across military U.S. bases in the U.K.

In his interview he highlighted why he thinks it is important to keep the public informed. "You can't tell me the government doesn't know what's going on here. And the fact they will not brief us, they will not level with us, they won't answer questions in public. There's something really strange going on."

"I tell you, what worries me is, the fact that these are over our military installations. And let's not ever forget that this administration allowed a Chinese spy balloon to fly across the entire continental United States, did nothing about it and now they won't level with us about this," he said. "I think it's a big problem."

What To Know

As reported by Newsweek, more than 5,000 drone sightings have been reported recently across the U.S. according to the FBI.

Sightings began in New Jersey in November, before spreading to other eastern states including New York, Ohio, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Sightings of drones near U.S. air bases in the U.K and Germany have also been reported.

Hawley highlighted in his interview the extent that the drone sightings are interfering with legitimate fight activity, saying "When we're shutting down air force bases, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base gets shut down for a while, when commercial airlines are interfered with, they can't do their flight patterns because of these drones. Uh, that's weird."

The FBI emailed Newsweek a link to the joint statement issued by the FBI and DHS on December 12 which said: "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.

"The FBI, DHS, and our federal partners, in close coordination with the New Jersey State Police, continue to deploy personnel and technology to investigate this situation and confirm whether the reported drone flights are actually drones or are instead manned aircraft or otherwise inaccurate sightings."

The statement explained that, historically, the agencies have experienced cases of mistaken identity, where reported drones are, in fact, manned aircraft or facilities.

It went on to say that they have not corroborated any of the reported visual sightings with electronic detection.

What People Are Saying

The FBI and DHS added in their joint statement: "We take seriously the threat that can be posed by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), which is why law enforcement and other agencies continue to  support New Jersey and investigate the reports."

In a statement emailed to Newsweek on Tuesday, Wright-Patterson Air Base said: "Our units continue to monitor the airspace and are working with local law enforcement authorities and mission partners to ensure the safety of base personnel, facilities and assets. We request individuals in the area to contact either local police or Security Forces if they see anything suspicious, to include UAS's or drone activity."

President-elect Donald Trump has stated that, in his opinion, the government knows what is happening regarding the mystery drones and has suggested the Biden administration is withholding information from the public. As reported by Newsweek, Trump first commented on the drone sightings last week, suggesting that they should be shot down and that the Biden administration was withholding information from the public.

"Mystery Drone sightings all over the Country," he wrote Friday on Truth Social. "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!!! DJT."

On Monday, Trump told reporters what he thought the U.S. government would do if it believed a foreign adversary was manning the drones: "If it was the enemy, they'd blast it out. Even if they were late, they'd blast it. Something strange is going on. For some reason, they don't want to tell the people."

President Joe Biden has addressed the mysterious drone sightings in New Jersey, saying there is "no sense of danger."

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Biden said the drones were "nothing nefarious apparently" and suggested many of the sightings were authorized drones in flight.