Earlier this year, we learned that a monitoring program that fell under the Department of Homeland Security, Quiet Skies, had been allegedly weaponized against Tulsi Gabbard after she aligned herself with Donald Trump.
With yet another scandal now associated with the program, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has decided to end the program.
According to reports, Gabbard had been placed on the Quiet Skies monitoring list after several trips flagged her profile by the algorithm of the program.
Gabbard was furious when she learned she, a former member of Congress, a former presidential candidate, and an officer on the United States Army Reserves, was being surveilled by the government.
At the time, she stated, “The TSA placed me on the Quiet Skies domestic terror watchlist in what I can only describe as the ultimate betrayal. The Harris-Biden regime has now labeled me a domestic terror threat. Why? They see me as a threat to their power.”
She was being a bit dramatic, as it was reported that her travel habits triggered the algorithm, and when it was reviewed, her name was quickly removed from the list. It literally had nothing to do with her affiliation with Trump or the GOP.
This week, another alleged scandal was reported in relation to the Quiet Skies program.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s (D-NH) husband was put on the list for having traveled with someone who was on the known or suspected terror list numerous times in the same year.
When Shaheen was alerted that her husband’s profile had been flagged, she reportedly reached out to the TSA administrator to have him removed from the list as well as having his profile approved to not have to go through the usual security checks we are subject to at the airport.
He was added for a legitimate reason, yet he was quickly removed simply because Shaheen flexed on the TSA administrator. I cannot help but wonder if anyone asked why the husband of a member of the Senate was traveling so frequently with an alleged terrorist.
With the program now coming under fire, Noem announced that the program was being axed, having proven to be ineffective.
She stated, “[The Department of Homeland Security] and TSA have uncovered documents, correspondence, and timelines that clearly highlight the inconsistent application of Quiet Skies. The program, under the guise of ‘national security,’ was used to target political opponents and benefit political allies of the Biden Administration.”
Noem continued, “In addition to conducting our own internal investigation, I am calling for a full and thorough Congressional investigation to uncover further corruption through this program.”
Again, from the reports I read on the issue, the program was not weaponized against Gabbard, as her profile was flagged due to travel habits. Having said that, if the program was ineffective, I 100% support ending it. It honestly seems like this was just another waste of taxpayer funds.
