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Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is the latest to throw out thoughts about the plague of drones that have been spotted across the East Coast in recent weeks.
Hogan fanned the flames of speculation recently after sharing a curious nearly two-minute video of what he believed to be drones in the area, though he cautioned that he was no expert in the matter in a social media post that garnered nearly 4.5 million views.
"Like many who have observed these drones, I do not know if this increasing activity over our skies is a threat to public safety or national security," the former governor stated.
"But the public is growing increasingly concerned and frustrated with the complete lack of transparency and the dismissive attitude of the federal government."
According to Hogan, his possible drone sighting was outside his Anne Arundel County home in Davidsonville, not far from DC, and the activity spanned nearly an hour.
"The government has the ability to track these from their point of origin but has mounted a negligent response," Hogan added. "People are rightfully clamoring for answers, but aren’t getting any."
There have been numerous sightings of purported drones in the past few weeks, with more questions being raised than answers being provided by officials.
During a briefing on Tuesday, Major General Pat Ryder confirmed that the drones are not Department of Defense assets, though the unexpected rise in sightings is unusual.
"There's over a million drones registered in the United States. And on any given day, approximately 8,500 drones are in flight," he said during a press briefing. "And so the vast majority of these drones are going to probably be recreational or hobbyist.
"Drones flying whether here or overseas is not something new, right? And especially in the United States with a million registered drones and 8,500 flying on any given day. Similar to vehicles that may inadvertently approach a base, the same can be true for drones."
Hogan scoffed at that idea in his lengthy social media post late last week, calling on officials to be more transparent as tensions and concern continues to rise among area residents both in Maryland and across the country.
"We are being told that neither the White House, the military, the FBI, or Homeland Security have any idea what they are, where they came from, or who has launched or is controlling them–and that they pose no threat," he said.
"That response is entirely unacceptable.
"I join with the growing bipartisan chorus of leaders demanding that the federal government immediately address this issue," Hogan concluded. "The American people deserve answers and action now."
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