Q: So you believe your efforts stopped it from collecting and transmitting or was it able to collect but just not able to transmit?
GEN. RYDER: We believe that it did not collect while it was transiting the United States or flying over the United States, and certainly the efforts that we made contributed, I’m sure.
The question gave two possibilities: it collected and didn’t transmit, and it didn’t collect. The General states that it didn’t collect, and he’s sure that they were able to mitigate anything if it did collect (which it didn’t). Basic English. He also does not refer to the balloon as a spy balloon FWIW, correcting the journalist who did refer to it as one.