It makes sense to have some high speed reconnaissance asset that is not as pedictable as satellites. Plus it is unlikely that they have retired the blackbird back then without having something better. Core job of the SR-71 was post SIOP-reconnaissance. Something existing today must be able to do it. Might be unmanned as well.
All the current hypersonic hype, showing models and stuff, is like the stealth hype back then: Too noisy. Do they just want to scare russia into buying super expensive new radars and air defence all along their border again? Like when the cold war ended and the soviet union went bankrupt over it's defense expenditures? Russia today tries to "scare" back with their torpedo it seems.