In a shocking revelation, a former U.S. official has disclosed that the Biden administration attempted to hide the existence of a Chinese spy balloon from public knowledge. The spy balloon eventually was shot down over the Atlantic almost a year ago, and the administration’s handling of it raises some serious questions.
According to NBC News, a former official in the Biden administration revealed that the government had the intention to study the balloon and let it pass over without disclosing its existence. However, after the balloon was spotted, an eight-day-long fiasco ensued within the White House on what to do with the balloon.
On Jan. 27, a previously unreported phone conversation took place between Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck and Gen. Mark Milley, in which they discussed the situation. It was only after the phone call that the U.S. military confirmed that the balloon was a Chinese spy balloon outfitted with surveillance equipment.
President Biden was informed of the balloon’s existence on Jan. 31, several days after it had been spotted and confirmed. However, reports of the balloon being seen over Montana did not surface until Feb. 2, sparking frustration among Republican lawmakers who were not briefed on it until after the reports.
The calls from the public, including former President Trump, demanding that the balloon be shot down caused further controversy.
China issued an apology about the balloon, claiming it was a civilian weather vessel that had drifted off course due to force majeure. However, the balloon was able to gather and transmit information back to China before being shot down, despite the Biden administration’s efforts to block it.
Insightful piece