According to a new report from CBS News, the Biden administration has been lying the entire time about the Chinese surveillance balloon that they refused to shoot down until it had finished its flight across the United States.
On Tuesday, CBS News reported that U.S. intelligence had been tracking the surveillance balloon since it left China — and had even been tracking it for over a week before it entered U.S. airspace — but still refused to take action. The report reveals that officials had tracked the surveillance balloon while it drifted from southern China toward Guam and Hawaii, before making a sharp turn toward Alaska.
BREAKING: CBS News has learned that U.S. intelligence watched the Chinese spy balloon as it lifted off near China's south coast, meaning the U.S. military had been tracking it for nearly a week before it entered U.S. airspace. pic.twitter.com/oaR5yZIRwm
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) February 15, 2023
The spy balloon reportedly entered the U.S. through Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, traveled through Canada, and entered the U.S. again through northern Idaho. It then allegedly flew over numerous sensitive sites, including missile silos in Montana, where it was finally seen by the public and reported on. The balloon then traveled across the U.S., finally being shot down off the Carolina coast.
The Biden administration previously claimed that they had first learned about the Chinese surveillance balloon on January 28, when it was flying near Alaska.
Their story quickly evolved — first claiming that they didn’t have a chance to shoot it down over Alaskan waters until NORAD Commander Glen VanHerck asserted that he could not shoot it down because it was demonstrating “hostile intent.”
If CBS News’ report is correct, this is a significant lie told to the American people. The Biden administration has repeatedly claimed that it did not want to shoot down the balloon while it flew over the U.S. because they feared the effects of falling debris, but they apparently had plenty of opportunity to do so while it was still flying over the water.
CBS also discussed the three other objects that the Biden administration shot down in recent days, which they are supposedly having trouble recovering. The outlet pointed out that the leading theory is that these objects were harmless research balloons and likely benign.
In their reporting on the matter, Red State asked: “But how can you say that if you also say that you don’t even know what they are? Even pilots were ‘perplexed’ by what they saw, with different descriptions of the objects.”
Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers have demanded that the Biden administration provide more details to Congress and the American people about what is going on.
“President Biden owes the American people an explanation,” said Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR).
Sen. Tom cotton on classified briefing about flying objects: "President Biden owes the American people an explanation" pic.twitter.com/DPsweBchQh
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) February 14, 2023
