Controversial airport watchlist program terminated by DHS amid weaponization concerns
FOX News1 day
Trump Administration Ends TSA's Quiet Skies Surveillance Program
Above: U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem gestures before her departure from Ben Gurion Airport on May 26, 2025, in Tel Aviv, Israel. Image copyright: Alex Brandon/Pool/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
The Quiet Skies program became a political weapon under Biden, targeting conservatives like Tulsi Gabbard while giving special treatment to Democratic allies. This $200 million boondoggle never stopped a single terrorist attack but was used to harass political opponents. The Trump administration is right to shut down this surveillance state overreach and restore equal treatment under the law.
Democratic narrative
Gabbard's placement on the watchlist was automatic and justified based on her suspicious travel patterns and associations, not political targeting. The program operated consistently across both Republican and Democratic administrations using established security protocols. Noem is politicizing national security by dismantling legitimate counterterrorism tools while scapegoating career TSA employees.