After the Biden administration fell under heavy criticism for what many viewed as a too-little-too-late response to the incursion of a Chinese spy balloon over U.S. airspace, officials surprised the public by noting that similar air balloon incursions occurred several times when Trump was in the White House.
A senior U.S. Defense official said that Chinese balloons “transited the continental United States briefly at least three times during the prior administration and once that we know of at the beginning of this administration, but never for this duration of time.”
Trump-era military and government officials quickly denied the assertion. The notable list of deniers included former Director of National Intelligence Jon Ratcliffe and former Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
Trump told Fox News, “This never happened. It would have never happened.”
The accounts seem irreconcilable. However, anonymous sources recently told Bloomberg that it may have been possible that a Chinese incursion into U.S. airspace did happen during Trump’s watch but that Trump was not informed.
The source went on to say that an incursion may have occurred at the very end of Trump’s term, and, at that time, assessing the intent and capability of high-altitude balloons “took weeks because Chinese surveillance … included jamming systems that hid their true intent.”
In this scenario, an incursion occurred, but Trump was not informed because he was either out of office or the balloon was out of U.S. airspace before a high-confidence assessment was made.
The Bloomberg report concludes: “The former president was never presented an opportunity to shoot balloons down.”
Politico noted anonymous lower-level officials reported that “much smaller” radar-jamming Chinese balloons were detected off Virginia’s coast and over “various … U.S. territories in recent years.”
Chinese officials deny that the balloon a U.S. fighter jet shot down on Saturday was a reconnaissance asset. Their assertion that the high-altitude balloon with maneuvering capabilities was a weather balloon that simply flew off course is believed by few.
China has strongly condemned the U.S. decision to take down the craft.
Republicans contend the Chinese used the incursion to test U.S. response time and capabilities — both of which, they argue, was found lacking.
Many Republicans and former Trump administration members have mocked and chided Biden for allowing the balloon to transit the country.
Trump reminded Americans in a post on his Truth Social platform that he created a DOJ Task Force to protect U.S. interests from Chinese spy balloons, but President Joe Biden dismantled the team claiming racism.
Americans widely celebrated the downing of the balloon.
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