Shoot them down! Trump demands mystery drones to be eliminated as Americans flood hotlines to report swarms of devices over US military bases – amid fears they’re being sent from a ‘hostile mothership’ offshore

America was in the grip of ‘drone hysteria’ last night as Donald Trump urged President Biden to ‘shoot them down!’

Dozens of mysterious drones have been spotted hovering over cities and military bases in New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Virginia and California, with concerned residents reporting ‘swarms’ of up to 50 drones flying overhead.

New Jersey authorities said more than 3,000 frightened residents flooded an emergency hotline within 48 hours amid fears the drones could come under the control of a hostile foreign power, possibly China, Russia or Iran.

Last night, US President-elect Trump called for urgent action, saying on the Truth Social platform: ‘Mysterious drone sightings across the country. Can this really happen without the knowledge of our government? I don’t think so! Let the public know, now. Otherwise, shoot them!’

The US Federal Aviation Administration has issued temporary flight restrictions over military bases in Virginia and Pennsylvania, as well as around Trump’s golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey, where “giant” drones with green and red lights were spotted last week.

Some of the objects are said to be as large as a car, while New Jersey police reported that the drones were “unlike anything we’ve seen before” as they radiated no heat or sound, making them undetectable on the radar.

An Iranian ship was reportedly spotted off the coast of New Jersey days before the first drone sighting was reported on November 18.

Congressman Jeff Van Drew said the drones came from an “enemy mother ship” off the coast, saying, “It could be hundreds of miles out at sea.” These types of drones cover much greater distances.

More than 3,000 reports of drones have been spotted on the East Coast in recent weeks, with officials admitting they are unsure of their origins. Pictured: About nine of the drones flying from the Atlantic Ocean on December 5

New York Governor Kathy Hochul denounced the Biden administration’s bumbling response to the consummated crisis engulfing the East Coast, telling the White House that the bizarre episode has ‘gone too far’

‘Could it be China? Absolute. Iran is certainly a possibility.” Mr Van Drew added: ‘The Pentagon does not know what these drones are or where they come from. I have very credible sources who believe that Iran could have a ship off the east coast. We are not being told the truth. They treat the American public like we’re stupid.”

The US Coast Guard confirmed that thirteen drones were tracking one of its boats on Thursday evening.

Sheriff Michael Mastronardy, of Ocean County, New Jersey, said his officers saw “fifty of them coming from the Atlantic Ocean” and called 911, which sent a Coast Guard cutter to investigate.

Americans have taken to social media, with one Facebook page – Mystery Drones: Let’s Solve It – boasting 55,000 members.

Some believe the drones are US ‘nuclear fallout detectors’, while others claim they have seen liquid spraying, raising fears of mass poisoning.

Others think the drones are the start of an alien invasion.

The White House has tried to quell the growing hysteria, with national security spokesman John Kirby denying that nefarious foreign interference could be at play. But the fear continues to grow.

Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan filmed ‘dozens of large drones’ over his home: ‘I personally witnessed (and filmed) what appeared to be dozens of large drones over my residence in Davidson, Maryland (25 miles from our nation’s capital) ,” he wrote on X.

He added: “The public is becoming increasingly concerned and frustrated by the total lack of transparency and dismissive attitude of the federal government. We know these drone sightings have been happening for some time, and not just in the US.”

The Democrat spoke out after the drones forced Stewart Airfield (pictured) to close its airspace for more than an hour on Friday, releasing a statement saying the FBI “must intervene.”

Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey shared his own eerie account of the drones after going out at night with local police to observe the phenomenon

Late last month, the US Air Force confirmed that unidentified drones had been spotted over four US air bases in Britain: RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, RAF Feltwell in Norfolk and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.

British defense sources told the BBC that the suspicion was based on a “state actor” responsible for the raids.

In October, the Wall Street Journal reported that mysterious drones were spotted near US military facilities in Virginia for 17 days.

The FBI has urged residents not to shoot down the drones, fearing that falling debris could injure or kill someone on the ground.

A California man was accused Tuesday of flying a drone over — and taking photos of — the Vandenberg Space Force Base, near Santa Barbara, on Nov. 30.

The man, 39-year-old Chinese national Yinpiao Zhou, was arrested just before boarding a flight to China.

Last night, the White House and FBI declined to comment.