The Transportation Security Administration and federal air marshals retaliated against adversaries of President Biden by sticking them on secret scrutiny lists and tracking their air travels, Homeland Security said Tuesday, admitting to “widespread abuses” during the previous president’s term. Here’s what you need to know about the TSA watchlist retaliation findings:
The watchlist abuses
Homeland Security admits to widespread political retaliation:
- Several dozen people who were part of protests on Jan. 6, 2021, were put on the TSA’s watchlist “despite there being no evidence of wrongdoing or illegal behavior,” the department said
- Sen. Rand Paul, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, also revealed that three current members of Congress were flagged by scrutiny lists
- At least two dozen Americans were deemed threatening because they refused to comply with COVID-era mask mandates
- Paul, Kentucky Republican, revealed new details on TSA’s surveillance of then-former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard
The Gabbard surveillance
Current intelligence director was tracked after criticizing Biden:
- Surveillance began the day after Gabbard delivered a high-profile critique last summer of Biden and then-Vice President Kamala Harris
- Gabbard, now the director of national intelligence under President Trump, was surveilled on at least five flights in 2024 under what was known as the “Quiet Skies” program
- “Quiet Skies was an unconstitutional dystopian nightmare masquerading as a security tool,” Paul said
- The Trump administration ended Quiet Skies and its $200 million annual budget
The program termination
Trump administration shutters surveillance program:
- Trump administration said the program failed to stop any terrorist attack but became “weaponized” by the Biden administration
- Homeland Security pinned blame for the program’s excesses on David Pekoske
- He was first appointed to lead TSA in the first Trump administration and was reappointed by Biden
- Trump fired him in January
The Jan. 6 listings
Protesters without criminal charges remained on watchlist for months:
- Homeland Security said the listing of the Jan. 6 protesters who had no criminal entanglements was particularly egregious
- Some remained on the watchlist through June 2021
- “The Biden-era TSA’s actions demonstrate clear political bias. For example, these officials chose NOT to flag individuals who attacked law enforcement, burned down cities, and destroyed property during the widespread and violent George Floyd protests in 2020,” the department said
- Homeland Security statement highlights selective enforcement of scrutiny lists
The internal complaints
TSA officials raised concerns that were ignored:
- Some TSA officials, including the agency’s chief privacy officer, complained about the listings
- “They were ignored,” according to Homeland Security
- Internal objections suggest awareness within TSA that the listings violated proper protocols
- Privacy concerns were overridden by political considerations according to the report
Read more:
• Biden political opponents got stuck on TSA’s watchlist, audit finds
This article is written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on Washington Times original reporting and wire services. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Ann Wog, Managing Editor for Digital, at awog@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
