• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle

Remember China’s Spy Balloon? Biden Admin Tried to ‘Hide’ It From Public, Report Reveals

December 26, 2023
Soros-Backed Philadelphia DA Wins Key Primary Race After Presiding Over Record-High Murders

Soros-Backed Philadelphia DA Wins Key Primary Race After Presiding Over Record-High Murders

May 20, 2025
Delaware Legalizes Assisted Suicide After Protracted Legal Battle

Delaware Legalizes Assisted Suicide After Protracted Legal Battle

May 20, 2025
‘One Step Ahead’: House Republicans Want To Make America’s Borders Even Harder To Illegally Cross

‘One Step Ahead’: House Republicans Want To Make America’s Borders Even Harder To Illegally Cross

May 20, 2025
How GOP Can Wage ‘War On Regulations’ With Trump’s ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’

How GOP Can Wage ‘War On Regulations’ With Trump’s ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’

May 20, 2025
GOP Calls Senate Dems’ Bluff On ‘Newfound’ Filibuster Concern Now That EV Mandates Are On Chopping Block

GOP Calls Senate Dems’ Bluff On ‘Newfound’ Filibuster Concern Now That EV Mandates Are On Chopping Block

May 20, 2025
Senate Dems Join GOP To Approve Major Trump Campaign Promise In Surprise Move

Senate Dems Join GOP To Approve Major Trump Campaign Promise In Surprise Move

May 20, 2025
GOP Pushes Tax To Pay For Trump Agenda And Depress Illegal Immigration In One Fell Swoop

GOP Pushes Tax To Pay For Trump Agenda And Depress Illegal Immigration In One Fell Swoop

May 20, 2025
Jury In Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Sex Trial Won’t Be Confirmed Until Friday

Legal Analyst Says ‘Acquittal is Very Likely’ in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sex Trial

May 20, 2025
‘Civil War Of Epic Proportions’: Syria Could Be ‘Weeks’ Away From Implosion Despite Sanctions Relief, Rubio Warns

‘Civil War Of Epic Proportions’: Syria Could Be ‘Weeks’ Away From Implosion Despite Sanctions Relief, Rubio Warns

May 20, 2025
Nancy Mace Shows Nude Photo Of Herself During Hearing

Nancy Mace Shows Nude Photo Of Herself During Hearing

May 20, 2025
Trump Vaccine Policy Limits Access to COVID Shots

Trump Vaccine Policy Limits Access to COVID Shots

May 20, 2025
GOP Rep Who Was Censured For Opposing Trans Athletes Sticks It To Democrats With Supreme Court Victory

GOP Rep Who Was Censured For Opposing Trans Athletes Sticks It To Democrats With Supreme Court Victory

May 20, 2025
  • Donald Trump
  • State of the Union
  • Elon Musk
  • Tariffs
  • Congress
  • Faith
  • Immigration
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
  • Login
IJR
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls
No Result
View All Result
IJR
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Remember China’s Spy Balloon? Biden Admin Tried to ‘Hide’ It From Public, Report Reveals

by Western Journal
December 26, 2023 at 9:28 am
in News
235 17
0
491
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A report could implicate the Biden administration in a decision to cover up a Chinese surveillance balloon’s flight over the continental United States in January.

Multiple current and former administration officials say the Biden administration hoped to maintain secrecy regarding the spy craft — even from Congress.

The federal government planned on keeping mum about the balloon, even while it actively analyzed it for security threats.

“Before it was spotted publicly, there was the intention to study it and let it pass over and not ever tell anyone about it,” one U.S. official who was “briefed on the balloon incident” told NBC News.

The report was headlined: “The secret U.S. effort to track, hide and surveil the Chinese spy balloon.”

President Joe Biden himself was briefed about the craft’s travel on Jan. 31 as it approached U.S. airspace from Canada, according to NBC. That was three days after Army Gen. Mark Milley, who was then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, learned about it, NBC reported.

A Chinese spy balloon has been flying over the United States for a couple of days, U.S. officials said, in what would be a brazen act just days ahead of a planned trip to Beijing by Secretary of State Antony Blinken https://t.co/m0jiZJ6Lpk pic.twitter.com/WYO9hdFBlt

— Reuters (@Reuters) February 3, 2023

The craft was spotted by members of the public and ultimately identified as being of Chinese origin — leading to intense scrutiny over U.S. air defense protocols and vulnerabilities to surveillance from the nation’s biggest military and geopolitical rival.

The government has since concluded that the craft was, in fact, collecting sensitive intelligence.

China described the solar-powered balloon as a weather monitoring device that had been inadvertently blown off course in a statement.

The balloon was ultimately shot down over American territorial waters off the coast of South Carolina.

BREAKING‼️???? China’s “spy balloon” collected sensitive intelligence from U.S. military sites — NBC pic.twitter.com/NMaNraRxiI

— Radar? (@RadarHits) April 3, 2023

The craft traversed the North American continent.

Senior U.S. defense officials were blindsided by the aircraft’s presence.

“They weren’t paying attention,” one administration official told NBC.

The report also put a twist on what was supposed to happen to the balloon once its mission was accomplished.

“Officials also assessed that China’s plan was to self-destruct the balloon, not return it back home,” NBC reported.

Also insane: China planned for the balloon to self-destruct after crossing the US

That means when Biden shot the balloon down only after it reached the east coast—he basically did China’s work for them pic.twitter.com/mAPH6GIwZZ

— John Hasson (@SonofHas) December 23, 2023

The NBC report included the Biden administration’s public posturing on the balloon — that it posed no threat to national security and that it was actually a bigger embarrassment to Beijing than it was to the United States.

“Privately, Biden administration officials complain that the political outcry over the balloon was wildly disproportionate to any threat it posed to U.S. national security,” the report stated.

“In their view, because China was so angered and humiliated, the damage done to the relationship between Washington and Beijing was a far graver threat to the U.S. than the balloon itself.”

In other words, the administration was more concerned with the incident’s effect on U.S.-China relations than the direct security implications, according to the report.

China has refused to apologize for the balloon, but the Biden administration has since concluded that China has suspended its surveillance balloon program because of the incident, according to CNN.


This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

Tags: Biden administrationChinaCongressJoe BidenMilitarySouth CarolinaU.S. News
Share196Tweet123
Western Journal

Western Journal

Advertisements

Top Stories June 10th
Top Stories June 7th
Top Stories June 6th
Top Stories June 3rd
Top Stories May 30th
Top Stories May 29th
Top Stories May 24th
Top Stories May 23rd
Top Stories May 21st
Top Stories May 17th

Join Over 6M Subscribers

We’re organizing an online community to elevate trusted voices on all sides so that you can be fully informed.





IJR

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Trusted Voices On All Sides

  • About Us
  • GDPR Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Editorial Standards & Corrections Policy
  • Subscribe to IJR

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Top Stories June 10th Top Stories June 7th Top Stories June 6th Top Stories June 3rd Top Stories May 30th Top Stories May 29th Top Stories May 24th Top Stories May 23rd Top Stories May 21st Top Stories May 17th