![Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told a reporter Friday that Americans can simply look in the sky to determine the whereabouts about the Chinese surveillance balloon as he refused to provide an updated location. [Screenshot Twitter Townhall Media]](https://images.dailycaller.com/image/width=960,height=411,fit=cover,f=auto/https://cdn01.dailycaller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Screenshot-2023-02-03-at-12.44.30-PM-e1675447120162.png "Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told a reporter Friday that Americans can simply look in the sky to determine the whereabouts about the Chinese surveillance balloon as he refused to provide an updated location. [Screenshot Twitter Townhall Media]")
Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told a reporter Friday that Americans can simply look at the sky to determine the whereabouts of an alleged Chinese surveillance balloon after Ryder refused to provide an updated location.
“Does the public not have the right to know?” a reporter asked.
“The public certainly has the ability to look up in the sky and see where the balloon is,” Ryder responded.
REPORTER: “Does the public not have the right to know…?”
PENTAGON: “The public certainly has the ability to look up in the sky and see where the balloon is.” pic.twitter.com/3mLU3BQTRQ
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 3, 2023
Another reporter asked why the balloon has not been taken down if it’s violating U.S. airspace.
“We assessed that it does not pose a risk to people on the ground as it is traversing the continental United States,” Ryder answered. (RELATED: Trump Responds To Pentagon Identifying Suspected Chinese Surveillance Balloon Flying Over US)
Reporter: “If the [Chinese spy balloon] is violating our airspace, why not take it down?”
Pentagon Spox: “We assessed that it does not pose a risk to people on the ground as it is traversing the continental United States.” pic.twitter.com/xG65dLhjbq
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) February 3, 2023
The Department of Defense (DoD) announced Thursday that it was tracking a suspected high-altitude Chinese surveillance balloon that appears to be collecting data on sensitive U.S. sites over Montana. The state is home to the Malmstrom Air Force Base, which houses Minuteman III nuclear missiles.
The DoD released a statement Thursday night that “instances of balloon activity have been observed previously over the past several years.”
China has claimed ownership of what it describes as a “civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological purposes,” that accidentally “deviated far from its planned course.”