Republican Senator from Pennsylvania Doug Mastriano has become subject to online ridicule after mistaking a prop spacecraft from a movie franchise as one of the drones that have mysteriously been flying over New Jersey.
Recently, residents of northeastern states, particularly New Jersey, have spotted multiple aircraft that seemingly look like drones flying overhead. Residents have been unable to identify what the flying objects actually are, and have received little explanation from both state and federal government officials.
According to White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby, Biden administration officials are yet to find "anything anomalous or any national security or public safety risks over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the Northeast."
On Monday, Pennsylvania State Senator Doug Mastriano took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his frustrations with the fact that the drones are shrouded in such mystery.
"It is inconceivable that the federal government has no answers nor has taken any action to get to the bottom of the unidentified drones. The fecklessness of this administration was on display last year when a Chinese surveillance balloon was allowed to fly over the entire continental United States before being shot down," he wrote.
"Such should be viewed as a threat to our nation and citizens and action is long overdue. We have recourses and assets in our arsenal to get answers, but I suppose Ukraine is more important to the White House. January 20th can't come soon enough," he continued.
However, the "drone" in the image shared by Mastriano is actually a prop recreation of a fictional flying vehicle from the Star Wars Universe.
"The TIE fighter was the unforgettable symbol of the Imperial fleet. Carried aboard Star Destroyers and battle stations, TIE fighters were single-pilot vehicles designed for fast-paced dogfights with Rebel X-wings and other starfighters," says a description of the fictional flying vehicle on the Star Wars website.
Social media users quickly took to the replies of Mastriano's post in order to mock him for his mistake.
"These are not the drones you're looking for," said one user.
These are not the drones you’re looking for.
— marco469 (@marco469) December 17, 2024
"We are cooked no way a senator fell for this," said another.
@MuricanEv we are cooked no way a senator fell for this
— Mohamed🇺🇸🇸🇴 (@2890Moshark2) December 17, 2024
"Are the "drones" in the room with you? Can you hear the Star Wars theme in the background? Most importantly, what color is your Lightsaber?" wrote a third.
Are the "drones" in the room with you?
— ThisWillHold (@ThisWillHold) December 17, 2024
Can you hear the Star Wars theme in the background?
Most importantly, what color is your Lightsaber?
Mastriano, a far-right MAGA-aligned Republican, lost to Democrat Josh Shapiro when running for Governor of Pennsylvania in 2022. He has been openly critical of the Democratic Party.
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