History of Balloon Activity in the U.S.
The crashing of the spy balloon near Hawaii was one of several similar incidents that have occurred under both the Biden and Trump administrations. The Pentagon declined to comment on the reports. However, balloons have been spotted near military bases in Hawaii, according to a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
False Claims by GOP Officials
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene made false claims about the previous administration's handling of Chinese spy balloons. While GOP officials acknowledge that balloons entered U.S. territory during the Trump presidency, they believe they would not have reached as far into the mainland as the most recent one did.