Professionals always manage to do their job despite the screeching from the peanut gallery.

Statement From Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III
Feb. 4, 2023

This afternoon, at the direction of President Biden, U.S. fighter aircraft assigned to U.S. Northern Command successfully brought down the high altitude surveillance balloon launched by and belonging to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) over the water off the coast of South Carolina in U.S. airspace. The balloon, which was being used by the PRC in an attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States, was brought down above U.S. territorial waters. On Wednesday, President Biden gave his authorization to take down the surveillance balloon as soon as the mission could be accomplished without undue risk to American lives under the balloon’s path. After careful analysis, U.S. military commanders had determined downing the balloon while over land posed an undue risk to people across a wide area due to the size and altitude of the balloon and its surveillance payload. In accordance with the President’s direction, the Department of Defense developed options to take down the balloon safely over our territorial waters, while closely monitoring its path and intelligence collection activities. This action was taken in coordination, and with the full support, of the Canadian government. And we thank Canada for its contribution to tracking and analysis of the balloon through NORAD as it transited North America. Today’s deliberate and lawful action demonstrates that President Biden and his national security team will always put the safety and security of the American people first while responding effectively to the PRC’s unacceptable violation of our sovereignty.

On the other hand:

Mark Alford @RepMarkAlford
About time!! This took far too long and we deserve answers.

@JoeBiden must address why he allowed the CCP to invade our airspace and to what extent our national security was placed at risk during the State of the Union on Tuesday.
2:33 PM · Feb 4, 2023 from Washington, DC

“…After careful analysis, U.S. military commanders had determined downing the balloon while over land posed an undue risk to people across a wide area due to the size and altitude of the balloon and its surveillance payload…”

A couple of the responses to Mark Alford (r):

Well one thing you are good at Mark is clutching your pearls [….]

Heh.

About time? What do you know about anything? You are a teleprompter hack. If it was shot down over land, you would be on here whining and crying about how crazy it was for them to shoot it down over land. You are an embarrassment to Missouri

Previously:

Are you certain it wasn’t Rick Brattin (r)? (February 3, 2023)

Maybe they’re just checking on all of their Missouri farm landholdings (February 3, 2023)

Apparently Jason Smith (r) believes China is unaware of any easily accessible map applications (February 3, 2023)

Marked “Safe” in Virginia from the Balloon (February 4, 2023)