Staff Reports
In a stunning display of indecision and bureaucratic babble, John Kirby, the White House National Security Communications Adviser, recently gave a masterclass on how not to respond to urgent national security questions. During a segment on Fox News with host Martha MacCallum, the conversation revolved around the bewildering issue of unidentified drones buzzing around like an unwelcome swarm of hornets. Kirby’s response was an exercise in caution that would make a sloth look hasty.
When asked why the administration wasn’t simply shooting down these mysterious drones, Kirby delivered a lengthy explanation that could only have been written in the blood of red tape. He claimed the administration needed to “develop policy options” based on what little knowledge they possessed. Apparently, taking decisive action is just too risky without a comprehensive risk assessment first—because nothing says national security like paralyzing analysis paralysis.
As if that wasn’t enough, Kirby went on to express his deep concern for public safety. It’s a curious stance, as shooting down a rogue drone over a vast ocean sounds significantly less risky than, say, allowing it to fly over densely populated areas or critical infrastructure. That’s like tossing out the idea of a lifeboat in a storm because it might take up space on a ship; the lifeboat might be useful, but let’s not leap to that conclusion just yet.
White House: We Don‘t Know Enough to Take Down Drone over Ocean
John Kirby said, “Well, okay, the idea of taking something down, again, you’ve got — you want to worry about public safety.”
[The people in the ocean may get hurt?]https://t.co/S8CDgoiWBy pic.twitter.com/8Eljiy8VnX— Trump2024_no_matter_what (@TexasTrump2024) December 14, 2024
Martha MacCallum, sensing the absurdity of the situation, brought up the Coast Guard’s alarming report of 30 of these pesky drones tailing one of their ships. One might assume that engaging military assets against an aerial threat might be a priority, but not for Kirby. Instead of launching a smart countermeasure, he continued to preach the gospel of caution and obscurity. Apparently, the need for “policy options” outweighed the immediate need for action, even as the drones circled like vultures.
The bigger question revolves around this administration’s propensity for caution in the face of clear threats. Kirby’s insistence on gathering more data before acting resembles a student who studies all night for a test but never actually shows up to take it. While the rest of the world might be capturing drones and gathering intel for the security of the nation, the Biden administration seems more interested in a philosophical debate on the nature of aerial threats than in taking any meaningful action. Ask any American: most would rather see decisive action over deliberation when it involves mysterious drones in our skies.
