New photos show the Navy recovering downed China spy balloon off U.S. coast - CNBC

The U.S. Navy on Tuesday released photos showing the recovery of the remnants of a Chinese spy balloon that was shot down over the weekend on the orders of President Joe Biden off the coast of South Carolina.

The photos were taken Sunday, a day after an American fighter jet fired on the 200-foot-tall balloon, sending it hurtling down into the Atlantic Ocean in a dramatic scene caught live on TV.

China has claimed that the balloon, which first was spotted by the public flying over Montana last Wednesday, was a wayward "civilian unmanned airship" that was primarily conducting weather research.

During a hearing on Capitol Hill, Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., said he "loves" Biden but disagreed with the dayslong delay in shooting down the balloon because of the time it gave the Chinese to collect additional data and intelligence by the aircraft flying over the U.S.

"President Biden's decision to let the [Chinese Communist Party] balloons travel the length and breadth of the United States of America was an unpardonable show of weakness on the world stage," Wagner said.

The U.S. Navy released photos showing the recovery of the remnants of a Chinese spy balloon that was shot down on the orders of President Joe Biden off the coast of South Carolina.