Who is Michael Whitaker? Trump Admin Reveals Biden's FAA Authorized Drones to Fly Over NJ For 'Research'

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that drones spotted over New Jersey last year, which caused widespread panic due to the lack of information about them, were authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Speaking at the White House, Leavitt said the drones were authorized for "research" and other purposes, while others were flown by hobbyists.

The Biden administration was criticized last year for the lack of information about the matter. Back then, the head of the FAA was Michael Whitaker, the 19th person to occupy the post. The agency's website detailed that Whitaker had been the FAA's Deputy Administrator between 2013 and 2016.

"Before becoming FAA Administrator, Whitaker was chief operating officer of Supernal, a Hyundai Motor Group company designing an electric advanced air mobility (AAM) vehicle," the FAA detailed, recalling that he also served as "Group CEO of InterGlobe Enterprises, India's
largest travel conglomerate and operator of its largest airline, IndiGo."

Whitaker also worked at United Airlines for 15 years and climbed the corporate ladder, becoming Vice President and Senior Vice President. He is also a private pilot and said he would resign on January 20 once President Donald Trump took office.

"This past year, air travel rebounded to near record highs but cancellations were at record lows — a testament to your excellence and dedication," he said in a parting email when announcing his decision.

The last weeks of his tenure were marked by the drones controversy. The FAA, along with the Department of Homeland Security, the Defense Department and the FBI released a joint statement saying the sightings were not something out of the ordinary and didn't pose a "national security or public safety risk."

However, the Biden administration was heavily criticized over what many saw as a lack of transparency. The situation led some to suggest the aircraft belonged to Iran or were deployed to search for missing radioactive material from a shipping container. All theories were rejected.

President Donald Trump, on his end, had said "our military knows and our president knows and for some reason they want to keep people in suspense." He vowed to release information on the matter when taking office.