Biden States UFOs Were 'Most Likely' Research Related, Not Chinese

President Joe Biden delivered a speech Thursday addressing a string of unidentified objects shot down by the United States military inside North American airspace.

For Context: Earlier this month, a spy balloon linked to a Chinese military surveillance program floated over the continental U.S. before being shot down by the U.S. military off the coast of South Carolina. Following this incident, three additional objects have been shot down in U.S. airspace. None have been linked to China or the original spy balloon.

Key Quotes: Speaking on the three objects shot down after the Chinese spy balloon, Biden said the “Intelligence Community’s current assessment is that these three objects were most likely balloons tied to private companies, recreation or research institutions, studying weather, or conducting other scientific research.” Biden defended his decision to shoot down the unidentified objects, stating, “I gave the order to take down these objects due to hazards to civilian commercial air traffic, and because we could not rule out the surveillance risk of sensitive facilities.” Biden also stated that he expects to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping about the spy balloon.

How The Media Covered It: The speech was covered moderately across the spectrum, most prominently in right-rated outlets, which were more likely to highlight unanswered questions surrounding the objects and emphasize the amount of time that passed before Biden addressed the incidents publicly. Left-rated outlets focused more on steps taken by the administration since the incidents.