This moron is in charge of the Department of Homeland Security.  Any senator who voted for Mayorkas, can’t possibly object to Kristi Noem as the head of DHS.

His comments about the drone sightings in New Jersey and other areas are so disrespectful.  He thinks we are idiots or that we should shut up and stop worrying.

“There’s no question that people are seeing drones,” he told “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos in an exclusive interview on Sunday.

How is that supposed to make us feel?  I feel like, “No shit.  We are way passed that.”  Several times in the interview, he reiterated that the people in New Jersey aren’t all hallucinating. 

“I want to assure the American public that we in the federal government have deployed additional resources, personnel, technology to assist the New Jersey State Police in addressing the drone sightings.”

The American people are beyond the point where we find it comforting to get a pat on the head, and sent back to bed.

Mayorkas can’t assure anyone because we don’t trust or believe him.

What additional personnel are being deployed?  How many?  With what skills?  What are they instructed to do?   Nobody would be surprised if the people being deployed are from public relations. 

What technology will be deployed?  What is available?  Can drones be disabled, captured, downed? 

There have been numerous reports of drone activity along the East Coast since November. Mayorkas cited the 2023 change of a Federal Aviation Administration rule that allows drones to fly at night as to why there might be an uptick in sightings.

That’s just not true.  Drones weighing less than 55 pounds are covered by Part 107 Guidelines and now may be flown at night.  These drones are certainly over 55 pounds.

“We know of no threat or nefarious activity, and I want to repeat, Wolf, that if we learn of any cause for concern, we will be transparent in our communication,” Mayorkas told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Friday.

This is such insipid bullshit.  If DHS has no idea where these drones are coming from, going to, the flight path and who is flying them, then they have no idea how dangerous they are.

DHS has to bring in someone knowledgeable to provide actual answers.  Drone flight is heavily regulated.  Last year, the FAA issued a rule requiring drones to broadcast a remote identification signal. 

I’d like to know:

Are these drones over 55 pounds and not covered under Part 107 Guidelines?

Are any of these drones broadcasting a remote identification signal?

Are drones permitted to be flown at night?

Are drones permitted to be flown above 400 feet?

How high are these drones being flown?

Are drones permitted to be flown beyond visual range?

Can DHS track these drones?

Are any drones passing over restricted air space?

Has the FAA made any effort to contact commercial drone pilots?

“We can’t just shoot a drone out of the sky,” Mayorkas said. “We have gone to Congress repeatedly asking for more authority to counter drone activity, and we have also asked for more authority to give to the state and local officials under our supervision, because it correctly notes those authorities need to be expanded.”

Can’t or won’t shoot drones out of the sky?  With drones being routinely used in combat zones, what plan does DHS have to address this glaring inability to fulfill it’s mission?

Absolutely the last thing any politician should consider doing is to provide more funding and authority to incompetent government officials.

Instead, get the FAA and DHS completely out of the drone business.  All the way.  None of your business.  Let’s go wild West.  If New Jersey wants to address the drone activity, they can scramble their National Guard to fly over the drones with a helicopter.  Prop wash should down a drone, and if not, buck shot would work with little danger to the public.  Let private citizens shoot drones out of the sky.  If DHS isn’t going to do anything, then just get out of the way.

These are not serious people, they should not be in charge of anything.