"This was not the enemy."

That's the official White House conclusion on the mysterious drone flights reported over New Jersey in the final days of 2024.

At her first press briefing Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karolin Leavitt said:

"And before I turn to questions, I do have news directly from the president of the United States that was just shared with me in the Oval Office. From President Trump directly, an update on the New Jersey drones.

"After research and study, 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.

"Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational, and private individuals that enjoy flying drones and in time it got worse due to curiosity. This was not the enemy."

Online journalist Nick Sortor reacted on X, saying: "WHY DID BIDEN LIE? WHY NOT JUST TELL US THAT?

Filmmaker Robby Starbuck noted: "This is incredible. The Biden administration let the whole country freak out for weeks about drones and a possible drone threat when they approved the damn drones. Why did they help create panic instead of telling the truth and calming people down? Lunacy.'

As WND reported on Dec. 15, there were reports suggesting the devices were part of a massive counter-terror operation hunting for a dirty bomb or another possible weapon of mass destruction on American soil.

"It's potentially the most significant national security threat we've faced since 9/11," said Gary Franchi in his Raw Feed broadcast on the Next News Network.

"Apparently the Office of Global Access [a division of the CIA] has deployed these advanced surveillance assets for one purpose: hunting for a dirty bomb that's believed to be hidden somewhere on U.S. soil.

"But here's what should really keep you up at night. The reason the intel is leaking now, well, because time may be running out."

"These are our drones," Franchi stressed. "They are tracking gamma rays linked to possible WMDs in a massive counter-terror operation."