comment: >
  
  It's not acceptable under any presidency, hence why Biden shot it down and Trump just let it happen.
context: Conservatives in today's Daily Mail comment section: "That was just China doing a trial run. They were waiting until a weaker president was in office to send a proper balloon all the way over the US." Utter, utter morons. So by their own logic, the "trial run" with Trump told them that America would do jack shit about spy balloons. Do they have even the slightest inkling of how stupid they are? >
  
  The Daily Mail is such a joke. >
  
  Unfortunately it's the most widely read conservative newspaper in the world. People need to understand that it's every bit as damaging as Fox News. >
  
  There will always be a news ‘org’ for bigots. >
  
  Republicans said nothing when it happened under Trump, but now they're pretending to be outraged. >
  
  I don't think they noticed and I don't think they noticed when the same thing happened earlier during the Biden term.
  They have access to classified intelligence briefings (at least the leaders do) so they have no excuse for not knowing how nonserious all five incidents were. >
  
  It's still a serious incident but not because of anything Biden did.  It's serious because China violated our airspace. >
  
  I mean, I guess, but I just can't bring myself to be scared of a balloon.  What is this?  1865?  It's not like there's a bomb in there.  Chinese tech is not a danger to anyone.
  China sucks and all.  They put people in camps and torcher and kill them.  I'm just not scared of their "air force." >
  
  Japan tried a trick with balloons on WWII. Didn't work, only a few people died (after stumbling upon them after the war sadly), but with 21st century tech it may be as feasible as any other disposable drone aircraft to bomb the US. Imagine 1,000 balloons at once with small guided bombs. Imagine the utility if during a war, China and the US darken the skies and shoot down all the satellites in orbit. >
  
  You're kidding right?  a squadron of F-22s would love to shoot down 100,000 balloons.  It would be like a video game for them.  
  They probably train for it.  They certainly made short work of the first one. >
  
  I mean there is a reason those f-22’s waited till it was over the coast. 
  Yes it is plausible to put things like gases or bombs in something like that in hops people shot it down for it to cause more damage…. Which is clearly what the military also came to that conclusion because they waited to shoot it down. 
  Meanwhile I see so many people acting like they are military experts all the sudden. I’m not one I’m just thinking critically and everything adds up. 
  If what you are saying adds up those f-22’s would have handled that balloon before it was a viral internet craze. >
  
  Well they let the other ones just float by so it doesn't seem too dangerous. >
  
  None got shot down probably because Ivanka needed those trademarks >
  
  How many people have forgotten about those trademarks? >
  
  not me. >
  
  We didn't notice.  Trump flies so much we got used to seeing a hot air balloon up there..... >
  
  China played to his ego. >
  
  Imagine if they had even bigger balloons!! >
  
  The yugest * motions with hands * you've ever seen! >
  
  This is gonna be a hard flip-flop for MTG. I’m sure she’ll squirm her way through it while only being slightly racist. >
  
  Chinese spy balloons has the same zany outlandishness as Jewish space lasers, with the added benefit of being true. >
  
  Nah, one is far fetched. The other is not. >
  
  Spy balloons sounds stupid because satellites are a much better option.  If you told me a month ago that China was spying on us with weather balloons, I’d have thought Qanon had gotten loose again. I mean, I’d believe it from North Korea, but it just seems low effort for China. Israel can make laser satellites too, but to what purpose?  Both are totally possible but, to me at least, equally ludicrous. >
  
  There's a solid chance china had a good reason to use balloons over satellites. You're assuming you know best as opposed to Chinese engineers or intelligence. Jewish Space lasers are just silly childish ideas as of now, recon balloons are still much much closer to reality than the former. >
  
  “Chinese balloons briefly transited the continental United States at least three times during the prior administration,” the statement noted. Associated Press also reported that one other balloon crossed into the U.S. earlier in the Biden administration. >
  
  so basically if some random person doesn't glance at the sky and see a white blip this whole thing would be completely unknown? >
  
  Also a lot of people in other threads were talking about how these likely weren't spy balloons, and were just weather related or whatever china said officially, because satellites would have a clear advantage and balloons are too blatant or something. But does this mean it's some established tactic for spying? >
  
  *Tonight on FOX News*
  President Biden SHOOTS DOWN harmless Chinese weather balloon, could this mean war? >
  
  I wonder how much money DJT got paid by China to allow it. >
  
  That doesn’t even make sense and you know it >
  
  Not to have the US military ignore weather balloons. Yes, that doesn't make sense. >
  
  One of the wide array of services purchased by China. >
  
  Yeah, I could see it as a bonus. Odd ask but I get that point. >
  
  Now that Republicans know that Trump allowed three Chinese CCP balloons pass across the US during his tenure, they will now start railing on Biden for daring China and possible war by blowing up the CCP balloon. >
  
  Because it didn’t happen, Trump could fart with out it being reported on every news source. All the sudden you believe this would have been missed by a Media that loathed every step trump took >
  
  The focus needs to be on the hypocrisy.  I don’t doubt the DOD when they said it was smarter to just ignore the balloon this time, and it tracks that they would say the same thing the last few times.  The different here is people saw it, so it couldn’t just be ignored, so they shot it down.  Maybe to save face, maybe because the math changes when everyone already knows it’s there and the benefit now outweighs the cost.  Who knows, but it’s all beside the point.  The GOP should be raked for hypocritically saying this makes the US look bad when they did the same thing in the same situation, and almost certainly would have done the same thing in this situation as well. >
  
  Hannity was making a fool of himself Friday over it saying “unbelievable!” over and over, but he won’t care. He will not acknowledge the other three times. Dude is wrong all the time, these shows all are, and they will just move on. It will not matter to these idiot shows >
  
  “And President Trump showed great restraint by not shooting them down, unlike warmonger Brandon trying to spark world war 3 with his balloon massacre!” >
  
  Fox “news” has been parading angry republicans one after the other, who all want to go to war over the balloon. >
  
  China played to his ego.  Trump couldn’t stomach to shoot down a balloon that looked like himself >
  
  Republicans are already claiming this is a false story since no one saw the previous balloons and are claiming Biden is “weak” for not acting sooner.
  Meanwhile, if he’d shot the balloon down in the Bering Sea, they’d argue he was unnecessarily provoking North Korea, Russia and China by firing a missile into international waters and should be removed from office. >
  
  And had it been shot down over those obviously GOP states, then they'd be lambasted for endangering ~~their voters~~ the residents. >
  
  After all, he and Chairman Xi have been good buddies. Nothing to complain about. >
  
  Well that explains why china thought they could get away with it >
  
  How many of them were shot down? You know because Drumpf was such a big strong guy >
  
  It doesn't sound like any of them were! >
  
  Off topic because it makes the former guy look bad (too), and their talking points are null and void in 3...2...1... >
  
  Won't matter because Republicans don't read HuffPo >
  
  They read? >
  
  Nah they don’t read. They have someone else read it to them and they form their own sentences in their head that aligns with what they believe. 
  Narrator - “this article says Trump is a raging narcissist and can not be trusted!”
  GOP listener - “Trump is awesome, super trustworthy and I should give him money for that wall!” >
  
  It wouldn't surprise me if Trump administration helped launch some of the spy balloons for China >
  
  The balloons were bigger and faster. Those were the best balloons under Tr@mp! >
  
  Wasn't Trump also doing business with Chinese banks while he was president? Which would mean he was also compermised by China as well as Russia. >
  
  Am I really the only one who thinks it’s entirely scummy that politicians are turning something that threatens homeland security into a divisive political game? Who gives a shit who let China fly spy balloons the most or the longest? It shouldn’t have been in our airspace period. It’s all fun and games until they have a payload on board and it’s dropping bombs on American soil. >
  
  No this sickens me too. They are constantly beating war drums to keep justifying the need to spend more on defense so they can eliminate threats before they reach the US. This encourages the public to be fearful and now they are sending mixed messages and they wonder why people are reaching for the crazy sauce. >
  
  Trump was happy to oblige. He loves pleasing tyrants. >
  
  I have a feeling that
  These balloons are everywhere and only picked out when it serves a political agenda >
  
  100% this is just the establishment trying to saber rattle at China. The people in the comments going a long with it is the scariest shit I've seen all day. >
  
  I find it mildly amusing 🥹 >
  
  It's mildly amusing, until 20 years down the future you are bombarded with red-scare propaganda everyday and you march alongside the streets of Washington calling for the violent overthrow of China, the same way your countrymen had for Iraq, the same way they had for Korea and the same way they had at the start of the Vietnam war.
  Propaganda used to stoke the population of a nation against another, all so that the gears of the military industrial complex can be well oiled isn't "amusing". >
  
  Was he ever briefed…. Oh right. Never mind. >
  
  No, depends. >
  
  Does it really matter what administration was in charge our airspace got violated >
  
  But only now makes it on the news right >
  
  official DoD announcement... >
  
  The number of idiots claiming Biden was showing weakness and this would have never happened under trump….doesn’t matter because they will move the goal posts and say “for this long” or “this far over the middle of the country” or some other stupid qualifier. >
  
  The people that need to hear this will not. They’ll just say they hate Trump so they made this up. >
  
  The key part is being missed because everyone here apparently doesn’t read.
  “None of those four incursions reportedly lasted as long as the trip by the suspected spy balloon that the U.S”
  Aka this is the first time we know of that this happened this long.
  “The official said Chinese balloons briefly transited the continental United States at least three times during the prior administration. “
  Meaning trust it it happened 4 times before (there was another time under Biden it entered our air space) apparently this is the first to go this long and be noticed.  Why they allowed it to happen?  Idk the casualty bullshit doesn’t really match up.   I think they were tracking its signal or frequency etc to now know what the Chinese use to use it against them.  It’s also a nice distraction for the Biden admin with the papers incident but there’s likely something else going on… or it’s China doing it due to their literal economic collapse. >
  
  Proving that once again the GQP will always attack their “opponents” despite being guilty of the same or worse >
  
  Fuck China🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼 >
  
  I wonder if an unnamed senior defense official has ever lied before 🤔 >
  
  What? Why didn’t anybody notice? I mean I saw it clearly in the sky and knew it wasnt normal >
  
  Of course someone noticed, you're reading about it aren't you? >
  
  This is me talking on just a hunch, not knowledge, but why do I feel like this balloon stuff is an obvious distraction from something else? Why else would they dangle something that obvious over us in broad daylight? >
  
  Where is the dates, times and locations that the balloons traveled during the last presidency? How come nobody looked up in the sky and saw it and took pictures? Considering this would have happened before the world shut down. My thinking is this story is damage control. >
  
  official DoD announcement... >
  
  It was an unnamed source unless there is new information you have a link to. >
  
  I know it’s nothing new, but I’m so sick of the lack of transparency with how our government communicates to its citizens. >
  
  Had we shot it down over mainland U.S., the R's would be screaming that we're endangering our citizens with debris or stray missiles.  Can't win with these clowns. >
  
  Does nobody want to just think about this being a threat instead of internalizing the problem. Lets focus on the fact that we are constantly being spied on and literally do nothing about it and just argue about whatever fucking clown is in office or was. The problem is china and we should cut all trade >
  
  Is there a source for this? In the time that he was in office, I do not recall this kind of news story breaking even once, and this balloon is pretty hard to miss. >
  
  Article:
  
  Suspected spy balloons from China crossed into the continental United States at least three times while Donald Trump was president, according to a statement Saturday by the Department of Defense citing an unnamed “senior defense official.”
  
  This would have been everywhere on the news at the time. >
  
  If the president at the time was transparent then it would have been all over the news >
  
  It would have been leaked.  There were a lot of leaks during the Trump administration. >
  
  For sure pentagon is ALWAYS leaking those pesky foreign spy operations >
  
  Isn't it generally good, if you know you're being spied on, not to let on that you know? That way you can hide information and alter your behavior to mislead the watchers.
  I don't mean to accuse the trump administration of knowing what it was doing at any point, but I do think the only difference this time may just be that too many regular people saw the thing, it became a news story, so they had to act overtly. >
  
  The point is that republicans have been frothing at the mouth the last week saying Biden is a traitor for not blasting it to hell the second it entered our airspace. It’s the hypocrisy getting called out here. >
  
  Due to idiots with guns shooting at it I am glad Biden took it out.  I don't really care if they also had national security reasons to do it. >
  
  What did Trump administration do? Nothing? Because I don't remember reading about it in the news. So are the Chinese correct in saying that the Biden administration overreacted? >
  
  Yes an unnamed source.  They are usually legit and not made up.   Yeah someone said this !!! It’s true !! He really said it.  Give me a break. >
  
  official DoD announcement... >
  
  I really feel it’s ineffective to immediately point fingers at your fellow Americans regardless of political affiliation. We should be looking, as Americans, where the true threats might be coming from. >
  
  If it did then why wasnt it a big deal that there was a balloon flying around? Maybe because this is actually the first time it happened? >
  
  Face it. Trump sold our country's security out to our adversaries for laundered monies and favors. Russia, China, and Saudi Arabia have all had a monetary impact on Trump and his family while he was in office. He is a traitor and will continue his efforts while Merrick Garland sits there twiddling his thumbs. >
  
  Fake news >
  
  There are spy satellites orbiting the Earth right now that can read the text on documents and the license plate on a car. Does anyone truly believe that China still uses balloons at 60k feet? >
  
  This is exactly true. Not to mention tiktok spies more on Americans than anything else. >
  
  The story isn't happened, it is that people are making a big deal about a relatively regular occurrence.
  Like if there was week long about leap day or daylight savings and that biden should do something about it. >
  
  Don't be so insecure, my guy >
  
  I’m sure they did sarcasm. This is bullshit because if this actually happened, it would have been leaked way before and the media would have gone off and both the democrats and republicans would have destroyed him with this information. >
  
  According to the most recent news reports, this is a lie made by the Biden administration. >
  
  According to the most recent news reports, you're lying. >
  
  No. According to recent news reports, most people would rather deny the truth >
  
  Source? An unnamed “senior defense official.” >
  
  official DoD announcement... >
  
  3rd world shit hole running out of 1st world problem to argue over. >
  
  I really hate how this is being used to further divide Americans. Everyone in this comment section is frothing rabid mad at the other half of the country
  Even when we shoot one down China still wins. >
  
  And they didn’t do anything because of the scheme of surveillance not really a threat. They just shot this one down for show because people are stupid. >
  
  It’s not lost on me that those balloons crossed into US waters briefly before moving away, and it’s not confirmed if those balloons were shot down. The ballon that was just shot down was the longest a Chinese balloon has ever flown over the US. 
  The other day, this balloon was treated as a joke by this sub, now, you have found a way to give a shit by making Republicans - who were taking it seriously - out to be the bad guys. 
  I’m convinced most of you would not have a political opinion if a Republican didn’t first voice one. >
  
  These Democrats are desperate.
  This happened in Trump's administration too, but the shill media didn't report about it? Yeah right. >
  
  The statement was from the Pentagon. It was not from Democrats. Maybe the media did not know about because know one saw them. Regardless this a stupid uninteresting distraction and story. Oh no a balloon. Who gives a fuck. Media and Republicans need a shiny object to talk about. Sure do not want to talk about the economy that is on fire. Look over there. Lol. So many damn jobs there are not enough workers. >
  
  Unnamed security official…that definitely sounds legit. /s >
  
  Lol, always moving the goalposts. >
  
  This guy still lives rent free in the head of so many. Been out of office for 2 years and nobody can stop talking about him. It’s hilarious. >
  
  “What the media says we believe. They never lie.” >
  
  Hot air being sympathetic to hot air
  What else is new >
  
  One I just saw talked about was over Texas and Florida, guess those tweets about desantis “would’ve taken it down instantly” were what we thought they were, trash. >
  
  Sigh... of course it did. >
  
  They dropped money on republicans so trump let them go. >
  
  Trump had to pay China for Ivanka's money deals >
  
  It never left >
  
  It was Obama's fault! >
  
  And i believe China...... >
  
  So much technological development and they used a balloon for spying. >
  
  You mean the media that hated Trump never covered this? >
  
  I find it hard to believe after all the hate for trump how this didn’t make it on the news during his time as president >
  
  Trumps fans never shut up about him damn.... he ain't the potus anymore >
  
  Prove it >
  
  So why are conservatives crying about Biden? >
  
  If the one shot down wasn’t discovered by the public, would it have been shot down too or hidden like the rest? >
  
  Can someone explain...what exactly is the point of a spy balloon? 
  What would they be spying on >
  
  Obviously it was a stunt by China. We have balloons that can reach 160,000 feet. They wanted us to see it and test our reaction. >
  
  Missed on Fox >
  
  So the full drama was about the election. Showing Biden hard on China and Trump soft on china. K got it happy no war coming >
  
  China's netizens are thinking of it as a big winning cause US spend more when shooting it off.
  But don't consider all Chinese as patriotism robots as dissenting opinions can't be published >
  
  It's so strange to read China's statements that:
  
  It's just a weather balloon, 
  Oopsie, we lost control of it, and
  How DARE you defend your airspace. >
  
  Consistency and hypocrisy are only concerns for those whom care about whether what they believe and tell others is true or not. That concern is not part of the GOP nor conservative mindset. >
  
  "[Xi Jinping]'s for China, I’m for the US, but other than that we love each other." - Trump
  “One of the many great things about our just signed giant Trade Deal with China is that it will bring both the USA & China closer together in so many other ways. Terrific working with President Xi, a man who truly loves his country. Much more to come!” - Trump
  “China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!” - Trump
  "I think President Xi is working very, very hard. I spoke to him. He's working very hard. I think he's doing a very good job. It's a big problem. But President Xi loves his country. He's working very hard to solve the problem, and he will solve the problem. OK?" - Trump
  “[Xi Jinping]’s now president for life, president for life. And he’s great. And look, he was able to do that. I think it’s great. Maybe we’ll have to give that a shot someday.” - Trump
  “President Xi, who is a strong man, I call him ‘king’. He said, ‘But I am not king, I am president.’ I said, ‘No, you are president for life, and therefore you are king.’ He said, ‘Huh … huh.’ He liked that. I call him ‘king’. I get along with him great.” - Trump >
  
  Discovered after the administration left office and not detected at the time of flight. So the question is now why did intelligence officials not advise the president of possible courses of action when the ballon was passing over the Aleutian Islands. Especially since Elmendorf AFB has squadrons of F-22 and F-35 fighters capable of responding prior to further incursion of US airspace?  Also who is going to resign or be fired for not proactively advising (dereliction of duty) national command authority of this incursion?
  But on Sunday, a senior administration official said that "U.S. intelligence, not the Biden administration" assesses that "PRC government surveillance balloons transited the continental U.S. 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."
  The official also said that "this information was discovered after the [Trump] administration left." 
  "They went undetected," the official was quoted as saying. 
  So yes it did happen. No it was not known at the time. It is also a larger pattern of intelligence gathering by the PLA. 
  This is a problem. Intelligence and military officials not proactively advising national command authority is also a problem. They need to be fired for dereliction of duty. >
  
  Why didn't weak on China Trump shoot them down? >
  
  Trump was too busy golfing and kissing Xi's ass. >
  
  Something happens embarrassing Biden.
  Unnamed Source: "What about Trump!!!???!! >
  
  No one mentions the American balloons that are inevitably flying over China constantly. The concept of Mutual Assured Surveillance is as important as Mutual Assured Destruction.
  If these were a threat in any way they would have been destroyed as soon as they left Chinese airspace. >
  
  Ironically, a Biden official just said the balloons allegedly flown during Trump's administration were found out about after he left office.
  Another debunked hoax from the left. >
  
  Fake news, The White House has no shame >
  
  Let’s blame trump again card >
  
  It’s specifically being brought up since Republicans were loudly proclaiming this would never have happened during Trump’s presidency. Turns out it did. 3 times. >
  
  Show me proof >
  
  The US Department of Defense >
  
  False >
  
  It’s not >
  
  Since news is focused on a balloon that entered during Biden’s presidency, you must also point out that it happened during Trump’s presidency?  This isn’t even news at this point. It’s just irrelevant and old political slander to, once again, stir the pot on the Trump Administration. >
  
  It’s specifically being brought up since Republicans were loudly proclaiming this would never have happened during Trump’s presidency. Turns out it did. 3 times. >
  
  And thousands upon thousands of times on social media from the Vocal Minority >
  
  If so then Biden would've known the minute he took the oath of office. For whatever reason the balloons have been treated as national security issue that we, the public, up to this point did not need to know. Well, now we know, but what does it mean?  Why would China send these  balloons over America, violating our airspace in order to gather intelligence a satellite could just as easily obtain??   I'm sure the Chinese have spies on the ground who could just as easily conduct covert surveillance of a military site better and less likely to be noticed than a big white balloon, in the clear blue sky,  the size of a Mack truck >
  
  Way to shift attention >
  
  Most likely fake, if this did happen we would've heard about it years ago instead of just now. Usual false information to try and defend Biden. >
  
  How does it defend Biden? >
  
  Hit them where it hurts Trade, impose fines for trespassing sovereign territory. Waging war espionage charges in international court make them pay. Best invest in manufacturing sector Pakistan and India. Pakistanis because they need it or they the unemployed will all become terrorists which will be headache for the whole world. It will not be good for India as the rogue nation Pakistan sponsors terrorist who are armed by Chinese asswipes. >
  
  This is utter nonsense. >
  
  I don’t believe it. This feels like a claim made to retaliate against the people complaining about how long it was allowed to float around. You can’t trust what the government tells you. >
  
  So you believe the government of the guy with a history of lying when he thinks it will improve his image over the government of the guy who was upfront as possible about what was happening and what was being done about it?
  Explain that. >
  
  lol i don’t believe any of it. trusting the government at any time under any political party is the height of stupidity. >
  
  You don’t believe there was a balloon? Yes… that sounds like a reasonable position… sure. >
  
  Is there proof there was three balloons before?  Did you see three balloons during the trump administration? >
  
  Only the many reports and confirmation from the DOD.
  I’m sure that your “naw, man… everything is fake!” is much more convincing in some circles… just not with me, man. >
  
  Sure buddy the DOD would never lie. Just like the weapons of mass destruction we just haven’t found them yet but they’re real. >
  
  A great example of a Republican administration lying in order to get what it wants.
  We have many, like Trump lying about his crowd size at the inauguration, Trump lying about the wall and who would pay for it and Trump lying about the previous ballon incursions ‘cause it made him look bad. >
  
  And we didn’t see these balloons because?? >
  
  People did see these balloons… that’s how they knew where they were and where they went. >
  
  A shame after incurring $30T in debt over last fifty years that US lacks a defense system that would see and destroy foreign objects coming into US air space. >
  
  WTH? Why does something like this always have go back to comparing to the previous president?
  What WE ALL need to be concerned with is the safety of America! Period.
  And the fact that Hunter Biden’s laptop had some of the classified documents on it. That’s why the guy at the repair shop made more than 1 copy of the laptop’s contents and set up contingencies with various people if he were to die regardless if it looked like an accident or not. Then his copy’s are to be released to multiple news outlets!
  People need to wake up and realize that we are no longer in high school and quit having pissing contests about this president or that one! We all know why Biden has not stepped down as president due to his dementia. It’s Kamala Harris. Even people in his cabin ate have said this. And he or Jill, his wife were shrewd in naming her as his VP, this way they will be less likely to pull article 25 on Biden. That’s because though HARRIS appears to have all her faculties, she doesn’t have the excuse of dementia as Biden does. Nope she is just batshit crazy! Period… >
  
  “And the fact…”
  This is, in fact, not a fact. >
  
  How do you know? 
  He wasn’t at all worried about getting it back nor in suing the repair man until all of these classified documents started showing up in Biden’s own personal homes or where he had an office.
  Aren’t all of you tired of this two way we vs them mentality. I know enough about dementia and Alzheimer’s as it is very much in my husband’s family. His daddy then brother died from this horrendous disease. Before this, all of my husbands 9 aunts and 1 uncle have died from it as well. So it’s not like we do not know the looks in the eyes a on the face of someone in the early to mid stages. My sister has a small amount of it but hers is from the final stages of end stage congestive heart failure. If you have ever looked into the eyes of a loved one in the early stages where they are confused but don’t grasp what is wrong, you will never forget that face. Then the knowledge of what is going on but wanting to hide it from the only family you have left. This is my sister when the fluid builds up, it brings her dementia out. >
  
  Omg 3 whole times
  Thank god merica was able to shoot the last one who knows what horror that ballon would have caused >
  
  Ah yes, deflecting blame. Sounds about right for this sub >
  
  What “blame” is there here? One administration seems to have done nothing and then complained that they would have acted decisively.
  The other took action to observe, frustrate and ultimately shoot down the balloon.
  You feel the latter deserves “blame”? >
  
  "Cites an unnamed source"? The media hates President Trump so bad, why wasn't it news then? >
  
  
  why wasn't it news then?
  
  No one is going to answer that obvious question. >
  
  When a guy in a few threads above asked for proof some other dude, possibly a lib replied to him with a link of an irrelevant article. >
  
  Trump flies so much we got used to seeing a hot air balloon up there..... >
  
  We just gonna sit here and pretend like using balloons to spy isn't WW1 era spying..... this is fucking China and the U.S. we are talking about. Both countries have far easier ways to spy on each other than using a god damned, slow moving, massively visible balloon. 
  I mean come on. >
  
  I think it’s a test of our reactions. How much will we tolerate before firing back >
  
  So get in a time machine and yell at him? >
  
  The Chinese, and the Russians for that matter, have been using spy balloons over North America for years. Unless the balloon has a “Made in China” sticker big enough to read from the ground on the side there is no real way for the general public to know where it came from. We should be asking who leaked the information to the media? Sounds like someone is trying to stir the “base” up. >
  
  Ye sure. And this is The first time we all heard about this >
  
  official DoD announcement... >
  
  Remember the official announcement about weapons of mass destruction? >
  
  that was concocted by the bush administration who placed stooges in strategic positions to perpetuate the lie? >
  
  This was concocted by the Biden admin because it would make Biden look bad. >
  
  It is entirely possible this was just a weather balloon that blew off course. Somebody was able to track a path for it based upon the westerly winds. If somebody was able to predict where it was heading its entirely possible it just blew off course. >
  
  Trump couldn’t fart with out it being reported on every news source. All the sudden you believe this. It would not have been missed by a Media that loathed every step trump took. >
  
  So if these anonymous reports are legit, the woke military generals' version of events is that they have 100% allowed Red China spy balloons to traverse the US for years, not even bothering to inform political leadership, and only shot down this one because the public noticed? OK >
  
  none of your claims are supported by the Pentagon statements >
  
  You know they always have to spin things to take heat off them and they want everyone to hate trump 
  The balloons under trump didn’t fly over mainland US as we live in a time where everyone has phones and people are very curious so it would be easily spotted 
  Those balloons likely flew over U.S. territories but not mainland us.. 
  If you believe what you see on the news you’re a dumbass that can’t think for yourself >
  
  Everything that makes headlines is a planted distraction. Why haven't we seen the list of Epstein's plane ride guests.  This country has been fuc#ed by the press.  We have had at least 2 criminal presidents in a row.  Biden phucks children. >
  
  If I’m not mistaken, weren’t these other balloons while he was in office, here for an extremely short period of time? Compared to the recent one? I’m not defending his presidency. But I’m sure Biden wouldn’t of shot this one down unless people saw it, like they did. >
  
  They were under Trump and the under Biden was shot down when it  was safe to and the signals were jammed.   It was handled well but  how are the ones under Trump handled ? Where is your source saying the other balloons were under Biden ? >
  
  No I was saying the balloons were here with Trump in office. I’m sorry if it came off confusing. I was saying I believe the trump ones. People couldn’t see, so they didn’t shoot it down and it’s reported the ones that came while he was in office were here much briefer. Not sure Biden would of shot this one down if it wasn’t here so long and people could see it from the ground. >
  
  Just wondering doesn’t our military have the ability to hook large weights onto a balloon like this and bring it down slowly instead of shooting it down and scattering the payload into the water?  Would make it much easier to retrieve and would be less risky to surrounding area personnel and civilians also right? >
  
  What if the balloon contained material that we didn’t want released on our soil?  Taking it down over the ocean was a smart move. >
  
  I wasn’t suggesting doing it over land.  I was suggesting that popping the balloon with a missile resulted in crashing the payload into the sea and scattered it all across the ocean floor.  What if they had brought it down slowly into the sea instead somehow to keep everything intact without exploding the balloon?  We have very sophisticated military and it seems like we could have done something like that. >
  
  lies...... >
  
  Yes, Trump lies, quite a bit actually. >
  
  And even more during this one.  Your point? >
  
  Trump isn’t president. He was voted out. So is the thought to justify Biden’s poor response to the balloon, by citing the poor responses of a 1 term president voted out? 
  People are just too stupid to see they are being pinned against each other by republicans and democrats. Stop falling for these ridiculous distractions >
  
  trump and his co-conspirators attacked Biden on this issue. people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones and all that >
  
  🙄 why is it acceptable under any presidency, all this kindergarten back and forth crap will be our own internal ruin