Pennsylvania Republican State Senator Doug Mastriano was mercilessly mocked after he confused a replica of a TIE Fighter from Star Wars for a drone recovered from the waters off New Jersey.
Unmanned flying objects have been observed over residential areas, restricted zones, and critical infrastructure, raising concerns among local communities.
Federal agencies are facing mounting pressure to provide clarity on these sightings, with officials urging calm and emphasizing that there is no evidence suggesting a security threat.
Military officials and state lawmakers have reported drones spotted near Picatinny Arsenal and over President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf course, leading the Federal Aviation Administration to impose temporary flight restrictions in those areas.
The Biden administration has stated that it has not identified “anything anomalous or any national security or public safety risks over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the Northeast,” White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby said Monday.
For all his fury, you'd think Mastriano might know what a drone looks like but he shared a fake news story claiming that a "crashed drone" was "retrieved" from a beach and taken to an "undisclosed location for further investigation."
However, the picture accompanying the "story" was not a drone at all but that of a TIE fighter, the iconic symbol of the Imperial fleet in Star Wars.
@SenMastriano/X
Mastriano then made the following ludicrous statement:
"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."
"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.
You can see his post below.
But people knew what it was—a Community Note beneath Mastriano's post demonstrates this—and he was mocked swiftly in response.
Mastriano has previously been criticized for making outlandish claims.
During his 2022 gubernatorial campaign, he claimed there are elementary schools in the state teaching kids how to pole dance. Mastriano made the declaration during a speech to supporters in which he decried the ongoing "sexualization of our kids," though he could present no evidence to back up his claim.
There are no elementary school programs teaching young children how to pole dance but the claim is in line with others from prominent Republicans who have continued to allege the public education system is rife with a "woke" liberal mindset putting America's children at risk.
He also regurgitated attacks against critical race theory, which Republicans have falsely alleged is being taught in elementary, middle, and high schools to appeal to the insecurities and fears of their core voting base.