Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced she’s pulling the plug on the controversial Quiet Skies program which was wasteful and weaponized by the Biden regime to target political adversaries.
The program “failed to stop a single terrorist attack” for the entirety of its existence and cost taxpayers “$200 million a year,” the agency said in a press release announcing the end of the program which assigns federal air marshals to secretly monitor targets and report to TSA. Those on the list are also subjected to extra attention at airports, including searches.
“It is clear that the Quiet Skies program was used as a political rolodex of the Biden Administration—weaponized against its political foes and exploited to benefit their well-heeled friends. I am calling for a Congressional investigation to unearth further corruption at the expense of the American people and the undermining of US national security,” Noem said.
The secretary explained the decision to cancel Quiet Skies in a video posted to X.
Today, I’m announcing TSA is ending the Quiet Skies Program, which since its existence has failed to stop a SINGLE terrorist attack while costing US taxpayers roughly $200 million a year.
DHS and TSA have uncovered documents, correspondence, and timelines that clearly… pic.twitter.com/mcdNplUuVV
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) June 5, 2025
“DHS 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,” she said, adding that she is “calling for a full and thorough Congressional investigation to uncover further corruption through this program.”
One of those who was harassed through the program was Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard who reacted to Noem’s announcement.
The Quiet Skies program has been used for nearly two decades to target and surveil everyday Americans, violating our constitutional rights and civil liberties, targeting political opponents, and costing taxpayers approximately $200 million per year, all while failing to stop a… https://t.co/s8dIgf0IOi
— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) June 5, 2025
“The Quiet Skies program has been used for nearly two decades to target and surveil everyday Americans, violating our constitutional rights and civil liberties, targeting political opponents, and costing taxpayers approximately $200 million per year, all while failing to stop a single terrorist,” she said.
“We worked closely with @DHSgov and @SenRandPaul to expose the truth and stop this program from being weaponized against the American people @Sec_Noem’s action to shut down Quiet Skies is a meaningful step towards restoring the trust of the American people and defending liberty,” the DNI added.
Last September, Gabbard described how she and her husband were treated at the airport after she criticized Democrat nominee Kamala Harris and was then treated like a criminal after being put on the domestic terror watchlist.
My own government has placed me on a secret terror watch list targeting me as a potential domestic terror threat. Why? Political retaliation. pic.twitter.com/gRMkUVFJcu
— Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) September 5, 2024
“My own government has placed me on a secret terror watch list, targeting me as a potential domestic terror threat. Why?” Gabbard asked. “Political retaliation.
She would later find herself in a position to do something about it after President Donald J. Trump appointed her as his intelligence chief.
DHS noted that not only were political foes of the regime targeted for harassment, but Democrats and their family members received favorable treatment, including the husband of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), who was given a blanket exemption.
“Despite William Shaheen traveling with a known or suspected terrorist three times, then TSA Administrator Pekoske gave explicit direction to exclude Shaheen from the Silent Partner Quiet Skies list. After Senator Shaheen directly lobbied then former Administrator Pekoske, on her husband’s behalf, Pekoske granted Billy Shaheen a blanket Quiet Skies exemption,” the agency said.
“Shaheen was not the only high-profile individual that was placed on this exclusion list: this list also included members of foreign royal families, political elites, professional athletes, and favored journalists,” according to DHS.
Director Noem pledged that the end of the Quiet Skies program won’t impact the mission to protect America.
“TSA’s critical aviation and security vetting functions will be maintained, and the Trump Administration will return TSA to its true mission of being laser-focused on the safety and security of the traveling public. This includes restoring the integrity, privacy, and equal application of the law for all Americans,” she said.
House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) applauded the decision.
“I applaud Secretary Noem’s decision today to help TSA gain back the trust of the American people after the previous administration and restore the integrity of the agency. While the Quiet Skies program was intended to mitigate threats posed to U.S. aviation security, we know now that it ended up functioning solely as a political watch list and as a tool of corrupt bureaucratic favors—that is unacceptable,” he said in a statement.
“As chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, I look forward to taking part in the Congressional investigation requested by the secretary, along with other Committees of jurisdiction, to ensure TSA remains properly focused on protecting the traveling public amid evolving threats,” the congressman added.
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