The White House said Tuesday the drones spotted flying over New Jersey late last year were authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration for “research and various other reasons.” Before taking questions at her first news briefing,

Aviation regulator has yet to confirm it authorized drones that have been linked to unexplained sightings in the U.S. Northeast.

Fox News correspondent Nate Foy reports on the Trump administration's response to mysterious drone sightings across the United States on 'Special Report.'

The drones that were spotted flying over New Jersey late last year were authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration, according to President Trump.

Research company Enigma Labs said it has tallied 650 sightings nationally described as drone-related since November, with most concentrated in the Northeast.

Work primarily supports a center that is home to air traffic control training and 7,500 federal employees, which represents one of the Transportation Department's largest non-D.C. hubs of people.

The mysterious drones seen in the skies over New Jersey sparked questions for weeks, and now, we have some answers. President Donald Trump says they were a part of an FAA research project. CBS News New York's Nick Caloway has reaction from New Jersey residents.

Nichols spent nearly three years at the FAA after being appointed by former President Joe Biden in January 2022. He joins as a partner and co-chair of the transportation practice, working alongside co-chair Paul Hemmersbaugh in Washington, D.C.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt gave a highly anticipated explanation for the mass sightings of unusual aircraft around New Jersey over the past couple of months before turning to questions at her first press briefing of the new term.

Despite current policy, the FAA during Trump’s first administration actively sought to recruit workers with disabilities.

The fervor over unidentified drones in the skies over New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania began in December, with the rumor mill suggesting some of the craft were as large as sport utility vehicles (SUVs). Officials from the FBI, FAA, and state authorities all acknowledged the sightings, but claimed the cause was unknown.