That claim about three Chinese spy balloons on Trump's watch is deflating fast

[volsrock]

The Milley boys at the Pentagon have come up with a new public relations "save" for Joe Biden and his pathetic indecisiveness about a China spy balloon brazenly traversing the continental United States until it was shot down over the Atlantic yesterday.

According to the Pentagon's website, defense.gov:

[cut]

You know the press is going to be dining out on this for the next ten news cycles.

There's just one problem, though -- the claim that Trump saw three Chinese balloons traverse through the U.S. on his watch and did nothing is ... deflating fast.

First, we have an explicit denial from someone who would have known.

According to the Daily Mail:

The revelation startled Mark Esper, the former Secretary of Defense, and comes as Trump and other Republicans claimed he would have shot down the balloon while calling on Joe Biden to resign over the stalled attack on the craft.

...and...

Esper told CNN that he was 'surprised' by the Pentagon's statement, saying he was never told about Chinese surveillance balloons entering the US when he served between July 2019 to November 2020.

'I don't ever recall somebody coming into my office or reading anything that the Chinese had a surveillance balloon above the United States,' Esper said, adding that 'I would remember that for sure.'

He wasn't the only one. There's also him:

Tonight, it's been reported that at least 3 Chinese spy balloons crossed the U.S. during Trump's administration.

Yesterday afternoon, Mike Pompeo told Fox News he was not aware of this happening "during our four years in office"

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog...ting_fast.html

The idea that there were 3 instances during Trump’s presidency is made up to cover for Burden.

[Stone]

Absolutely. Even the left KNOWS its all bullshit. Thats the best part.......

[Hawkeye10]

Absolutely. Even the left KNOWS its all bullshit. Thats the best part.......

The Pentagon lies?

Who would have thunk!

[Joe Capitalist]

Absolutely. Even the left KNOWS its all bullshit. Thats the best part.......

Stoned and his wife/sister trying to knock down Chinese balloon:

[Nordberg]

It was the Defense Department that said 3 balloons flew over during Trump. That is the real part.

[ExpressLane]

It was the Defense Department that said 3 balloons flew over during Trump. That is the real part.

Probably 3 children's party balloons that were made in China.

[Nordberg]

Probably 3 children's party balloons that were made in China.

Is that what you think? Says a lot about you.

[PostmodernProphet]

It was the Defense Department that said 3 balloons flew over during Trump. That is the real part.

actually, the report said "US officials"......no one said DoD.......

[AProudLefty]

actually, the report said "US officials"......no one said DoD.......

https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcr...amera-on-back/

[PostmodernProphet]

https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcr...amera-on-back/

as both Trump's Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State have said THEY were not notified, it would appear apparent Trump was not either......

PRC government surveillance 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.

so basically what?....went somewhere across Alaska and then into Canada?.....

[AProudLefty]

as both Trump's Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State have said THEY were not notified, it would appear apparent Trump was not either......

That is false. Those balloons have been observed all over the world.

[Damocles]

It was the Defense Department that said 3 balloons flew over during Trump. That is the real part.

The General of NORAD (you know the folks who detect that stuff) said that they never detected them... these are visible to the naked eye from the ground, pilots were afraid to hit them. They closed airspace down. People were taking pictures of them...

Even Pepperidge Farm can't remember the press (who hated Trump) talking about these balloons and everyone taking pictures of them....

Do you know why Pepperidge Farm can't remember? It's because it didn't happen.

[Tranquillus in Exile]

The idea that there were 3 instances during Trump’s presidency is made up to cover for Burden.

Biden doesn't need 'cover'. In waiting until the balloon was over inshore waters, he was acting on military advice.

Stated reason: to avoid the possibility of ground damage or injury to people.

Unstated reason: to have a better chance of recovering the debris relatively intact.


We'll see what comes of it.

[Gondwanaland]

Biden doesn't need 'cover'. In waiting until the balloon was over inshore waters, he was acting on military advice.

Stated reason: to avoid the possibility of ground damage or injury to people.

Unstated reason: to have a better chance of recovering the debris relatively intact.


We'll see what comes of it.

The balloon was over inshore waters back on last Saturday-Sunday when it came in over the Aleutians and the Alaskan coast, bud.

[martin]

Forbes doesn't think it's BS; look at evince's thread. Don't you admire the way Pompeo, et al, are beating their chests over what they would have done, shooting down a three bus size object before it reached the ocean with no control over where and on whose property and heads it might land?