Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard claims she is on a TSA watchlist, calling it political retaliation for her criticisms of the Democratic Party. Senators and House Oversight Committee demand transparency from TSA.
Bollywood Fever: Former Democratic Representative and recent Trump endorser Tulsi Gabbard has claimed that she is on a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) watchlist, which she believes is being used to surveil her as an “unknown or partially known terrorist.” Gabbard made this assertion during an appearance on Fox News’ Hannity on Wednesday night.
Gabbard, who represented Hawaii’s 2nd District from 2013 to 2021, revealed that she was allegedly added to the TSA’s Quiet Skies program on July 23.
This secretive program, first exposed by The Boston Globe in 2018, allows federal air marshals to monitor U.S. citizens’ behavior and movements, even if they aren’t suspected of a crime or listed on a terror watchlist.
During a previous appearance on Fox on August 10, Gabbard described the impact of being on this list, including undergoing 30 to 45 minutes of additional screening every time she flew and noticing air marshals and K-9 teams around her at airports.
She expressed concerns that her Fourth Amendment rights were being violated due to the government’s surveillance.
Gabbard, who left the Democratic Party in 2022 and recently endorsed former President Donald Trump, claimed in a statement to the Hawaii Tribune-Herald that her addition to the watchlist was “clearly an act of political retaliation” for her outspoken criticisms of her former party, including Vice President Kamala Harris.
Hawaii state GOP Representatives Gene Ward, Diamond Garcia, David Alcos, and Elijah Pierick have also raised concerns, sending a joint letter to TSA Director David Pekoske.
They accused the agency of adding Gabbard to the Quiet Skies program without explanation and requested her removal from the list or public transparency regarding the TSA’s reasons.
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer and Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) have joined the call for answers.
Comer mentioned whistleblower reports alleging that the Federal Air Marshals Service (FAMS) misused resources to surveil Gabbard, while Paul highlighted a 2020 Homeland Security inspector general report that criticized the Quiet Skies program for lacking safeguards against misuse.
The TSA has stated on its website that the Quiet Skies program is used “to reduce the risk on airplanes by identifying passengers deemed to be higher risk according to certain travel patterns and other intelligence-based factors.”
However, critics are demanding more transparency and accountability regarding the criteria used to place individuals on this watchlist, especially in Gabbard’s case.
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