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We’re in the midst of Drone Watch ‘24 and everyone wants answers as to what the hell is flying over New Jersey. That includes Pennsylvania State Senator Doug Mastriano.

The Republican senator represents PA’s 33rd District — comprised of parts of Adams and Franklin Counties, which aren’t exactly next door to Jersey — and he hopped on X to demand greater transparency as people continue to report large drones flying over the northeast.

“It is inconceivable that the federal government has no answers nor has taken any action to get to the bottom of the unidentified drones,” he wrote. “The fecklessness of this administration was on display last year when a Chinese surveillance balloon was allowed to fly over the entire continental United States before being shot down. Such should be viewed as a threat to our nation and citizens and action is long overdue. We have recourses (sic) and assets in our arsenal to get answers, but I suppose Ukraine is more important to the White House. January 20th can’t come soon enough.”

Washington certainly can be a wretched hive of scum and villainy… the Air And Space Museum is cool though.

Mastriano said what a lot of us are thinking, but what had a lot of people confused was that he ended what sure read like pretty serious remarks with a photo of a Star Wars TIE Fighter on the back of a flatbed truck.

Did… did a state senator just get had by a lazily made breaking news headline over a photo of a replica TIE Fighter? 

I mean, it sure looked like it, and because this is the Internet, people were quick to pounce on Mastriano’s apparent faux pas and let him know that he missed the mark worse than your average stormtrooper.

That tweet was slapped with a community note — which is like X’s version of a dunce cap, and, better yet it linked to the Star Wars website as proof — letting everyone know that we’re looking at a fake TIE fighter.

But hold the phone: Mastriano returned to X 18 hours and many harsh replies after his original post to say the whole TIE fighter thing was an obvious joke. He even said he pulled one over on reporters, kinda like when Lando Calrissian double-crossed Han Solo.

Two nerds — I mean, “cosplayers” — stand next to. a replica of a TIE Fighter, which is, in fact, not a drone.  (Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images)

Embarrassing Mistake Or Joke That Flew Over People’s Heads Like A Mysterious New Jersey Drone?

After folks got some time to goof on Mastriano’s apparent lack of Star Wars knowledge (which some might find disturbing), the senator himself followed up saying he knew what he was doing, and called out a reporter from The Philadelphia Inquirer who gobbled it up like Jabba the Hutt at an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Wait, so was that a genuine goof or a joke that fell flat for most of us like the entire sequel trilogy?

I’ll be honest. I have no clue. What do you all think? Let me know by dropping me a line at mattreigleoutkick@gmail.com. 

I could see it going either way. The juxtaposition of a legitimate fiery critique of the White House’s handling of such a massive concern and a Star Wars meme is funny, but I don’t think people are always expecting politicians to be going for laughs.

On the other hand, I could see this is probably the path one would take if they were trying to Jedi mind trick their way out of an embarrassing mistake.

I don’t know, and frankly, it doesn’t matter. 

Let’s all just take a moment to revel in the fact that we live in a time when a politician mistaking a TIE Fighter for a drone is something we can debate.