Other members of the Trump administration say they knew about the balloons, but the information may not have reached the level of the president. A senior Biden official said the balloons were only seen for a short time during Trump’s tenure.
This was not the first time that in American airspace chinese spy balloons was seen. During the tenure of former President Donald Trump, it was also seen near Texas, Florida and Hawaii as well as near the Pacific Ocean island of Guam. Here are the bases of the American Airforce and Navy. Intelligence experts told on the condition of anonymity that this spy balloon was seen several times in such high risk zones.
Intelligence experts told that these balloons also flew near Norfolk, Virginia and Coronado, California. These are the two ports where America keeps its prized aircraft carriers. The balloons flying over Guam and Norfolk were believed to have radar-jamming capabilities. All this happened at a time when China was launching its own ship. According to officials who served during the Trump administration, the balloons near both Norfolk and Coronado flew at low altitudes over the ocean but within US airspace.
US military shot down the balloon
America shot down a Chinese balloon over the Atlantic Ocean. China is furious. China did not have such an estimate. The day America saw Chinese balloons and protested, China became completely ignorant, as if it did not know anything. There was a difference between the balloons flying under the Trump regime and the balloons flying just a few days back. The aircraft seen during Trump’s tenure were smaller in size and were seen only in US airspace. They were earlier described by intelligence officials as unidentified aerial phenomena. Later it was found that they were balloons. At that time it was assessed that they could be Chinese but were not certain.
earthquake in american politics
After this revelation, there has been a big earthquake in the politics of America. Trump’s party is accusing Biden of shooting down the Chinese balloon after waiting for several days. At the same time, after the revelation that Chinese balloons were seen several times during the Trump regime, the party came on the backfoot. Now this issue is going to dominate in the coming American elections. Trump and some senior administration officials have denied that a balloon entered US skies during his tenure in the White House. In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Trump attacked his Biden, saying that the Chinese overflights happened during his tenure.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the US government was able to better understand the Chinese program because it gathered more information.