Chinese officials claim the balloon is just for research and not spying, but its presence has some people, such as Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), worried that it is actually carrying bioweapons.
After the Pentagon decided against shooting down the balloon out of concerns of hurting people on the ground, Trump took to Twitter to suggest a plan that may not have been even slightly feasible as anything but red meat for his base.
Former President Donald Trump’s eldest son advised Montana citizens to take matters into their own hands and shoot down the balloon themselves:
“If Joe Biden and his administration are too weak to do the obvious and shoot down an enemy surveillance balloon perhaps we just let the good people of Montana do their thing… I imagine they have the capability and the resolve to do it all themselves.”
Yes, he asked Montana residents to shoot their guns in the air at a balloon, and many Twitter users felt obliged to note the idiocy of the suggestion.
Many also pointed out a nagging issue: The balloon is extremely high in the sky.
Some people noted that having bullets falling from the sky after failing to hit a balloon miles above might not be safe for bystanders.
Others pointed to the possibility that the balloon might be holding dangerous cargo.
And one person tweeted that Trump’s plan proved he was indeed his father’s son.