The account further contradicted Trump’s claim that no Chinese surveillance balloons were operated over US airspace while he was in the White House. And this one hits close to home for Trump, whose Mar-a-Lago estate is in Palm Beach.
A US military assessment in April noted that high-altitude balloons from China “crossed Hawaii and passed Florida” in 2019 while circling the globe at about 65,000 feet, according to CNN.
A suspected Chinese spy balloon flew over the US last week until ordered to be shot down by President Joe Biden over the Atlantic Ocean. Trump-led Republicans have criticized the administration for allowing potential espionage tools to roam the country.
It also prompted Trump to boast that Chinese inflatables had never flown in the country during his presidency. But Pentagon officials said this week that Chinese balloons flew over the continental US during Trump’s presidency, albeit briefly.
China claims the US overreacted by attacking the balloon, which is said to collect weather data.