Joe Biden may give speech on Chinese balloon, unidentified objects before Poland trip
- The president has made few public comments about the objects shot down by US fighter jets, leaving the American public with a host of questions
- The US intelligence community is considering the possibility that the three of the objects were tied to a commercial or otherwise benign purpose
US President Joe Biden and his team are considering him giving a speech soon to address issues around the high-altitude Chinese balloon and three other objects shot down by US fighter aircraft, a source familiar with discussions said on Wednesday.
The idea is for Biden to give the speech before departing early next week on a trip to Poland, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Biden has been under pressure from lawmakers to speak more extensively about the spate of flyovers by unidentified objects, which have baffled many Americans.
He has made few public comments about the situation, leaving it up to White House officials to talk about it.
Since an American fighter plane shot down a Chinese balloon on February 4, three other objects have been downed over hard-to-reach areas – two in the frozen North and one whose debris plummeted into Lake Huron.
John Kirby, the White House national security spokesman, said on Tuesday that the US intelligence community is considering the possibility that the trio of objects were tied to a commercial or otherwise benign purpose.