Republicans, conservatives and others have mocked the Biden administration’s decision to use a $400,000 missile to shoot down what may turn out to be a $12 hobby balloon last weekend, with some calling it an expensive way to eliminate a “kids’ science project.”
The Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade told Aviation Week that one of its tracked balloons vanished on Feb. 11 — around the same time President Biden gave orders to shoot down a mystery object over Canada’s Yukon Territory.
While the White House hasn’t yet confirmed the Illinois enthusiast club’s fears that its balloon was destroyed, the revelation triggered prompt jeering on social media.
“To be fair, Biden is providing is [sic] powerful deterrence for any high school science clubs that might try to invade America….,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) tweeted.
“President Biden needs to tell the American people whether this is true,” Cruz added in a follow-up tweet.
Former President Donald Trump’s eldest son, Don Jr., also chimed in, tweeting: “Biden shot down some kids’ science project with a $400k sidewinder missile!”
He thinks he is a hero !!