Kirby was asked about claims from President-elect Donald Trump on the drones, in which the incoming president contended that the government “knows what is happening.” In response, Kirby argued the government has “a good sense” of this topic and that he is not in disagreement with Trump on this assessment. 

“And as you saw in the joint statement last night from four different federal agencies, our assessment to date, based on the information that we’ve seen, the people we’ve talked to, the tips we’ve corroborated, this is lawful, legal aviation activity,” Kirby said on Fox News’s America’s Newsroom. “Manned and unmanned, drones, civil aviation. We see nothing that leads us to a different conclusion.”

Kirby added that the investigation is “ongoing” and that the FBI is still looking into “about a hundred leads.” He also assured that an update would be provided on the drones in the event new information is provided that contradicts the current assessment of their safety and legality.

The spokesman was also pressed on why these drones could not be shot for flying over military bases, a proposition Trump has called for. However, Kirby contended that shooting down every drone, even those with “malicious intent,” does not conform to “actual realities, and that the possibility of shooting down drones comes down to a case-by-case basis.”

Kirby also noted there could be multiple false alarms that people are raising over this story, as “people are just looking up more” as this is “more of a story.” However, he assessed that people can see these sightings because “they’ve got their navigation lights on” and are not attempting to hide from the public.

Among those who have expressed concern over these reported drone sightings is Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who said Monday night that he has “never been more worried about an attack on home end” than he currently is. He also questioned whether or not the Biden administration is lying over these drone sightings, as it is impossible to tell if it is telling the truth since “they are incompetent” in securing the nation, citing the southern border.

During a news conference Monday, Trump addressed the drone sightings and the concerns they pose, suggesting he would avoid his resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, for the time being. He also said the military knows where “they took off from” but does not want to comment on the matter, arguing that “they’d be better off saying what it is” rather than leaving the public in suspense.