Uncle Sam just pulled the plug on a domestic spying program that’s been burning through taxpayer cash faster than a jet on takeoff, according to Just The News.
On Thursday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem dropped the bombshell that the Transportation Security Administration’s Quiet Skies program, a nearly two-decade-long surveillance effort costing $200 million annually, is officially grounded amid allegations of political abuse and privacy overreach.
Let’s rewind to 2010, when Quiet Skies first took flight, officially launching in 2012 under the TSA’s banner as a way to spot potential aviation threats through behavioral analysis and covert data collection.
Passengers had no clue they were being watched, which critics argue stomped all over personal privacy. And for what? Not a single terrorist plot was thwarted, despite the hefty price tag.
Supporters claimed it was a critical shield against evolving dangers in the skies, but let’s be real—$200 million a year for zero results sounds more like a government boondoggle than a safety net.
Air Marshals themselves, integral to the program, griped as far back as 2018 to the Boston Globe about tailing harmless folks like a businesswoman who’d visited a risky region or even a fellow law enforcement officer. Talk about missing the forest for the trees.
The program’s reliance on vague behavioral checklists and scant oversight didn’t help its case, either. Air Marshals called it a distraction from real airborne risks, and honestly, shadowing a Southwest Airlines flight attendant hardly screams “national security.”
Fast forward to 2023, when things got messier—William “Billy” Shaheen, husband of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), got flagged twice as a co-traveler with a suspected terrorist on flights between Boston and D.C.
After a cozy chat between the senator and then-TSA head David Pekoske, Shaheen was whisked onto the Secure Flight Exclusion List, dodging future scrutiny. Smells like political favoritism, doesn’t it?
Then came the bombshell in July 2024—Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard found herself slapped onto the Quiet Skies watchlist, right after criticizing Kamala Harris on Fox News. She and her husband, Abraham Williams, endured grueling 45-minute screenings per flight, marked with the dreaded “SSSS” for extra security hassle. If that’s not retaliation, what is?
Gabbard didn’t mince words, stating, “I was put on a secret terror watch list after I publicly criticized [Kamala Harris].”
That’s a chilling reminder of how power can be wielded to silence dissent. Whistleblowers from the Federal Air Marshal Service confirmed her placement, sending shockwaves through Republican lawmakers who smelled foul play.
“Always be looking over my shoulder,” Gabbard lamented, capturing the paranoia this kind of surveillance breeds. When a decorated veteran who’s served this nation feels like a target, it’s time to question who the real threat is—terrorists or unchecked government overreach?
Secretary Noem didn’t hold back either, declaring, “Today, I’m announcing TSA is ending the Quiet Skies Program, which since its existence has failed to stop a SINGLE terrorist attack.” That’s a gut punch to a program sold as vital for safety. She’s also pushing for a full Congressional probe into the corruption baked into its operations.
Noem pointed to damning evidence, noting how DHS and TSA documents revealed the program’s inconsistent use to target political foes while shielding allies of the Biden Administration.
A June 4, 2025, DHS press release backed this up, exposing how friends and family of political insiders got special treatment. Turns out, “national security” can be a convenient cover for settling scores.
Critics have long blasted Quiet Skies for trampling on privacy and lacking transparency, and these revelations only pour fuel on that fire. The TSA tried to downplay the mess to Newsweek, insisting it’s just a “risk-based” tool, not a terrorist watchlist. But when the risks seem to align with political grudges, that excuse doesn’t fly.
Gabbard summed up the outrage perfectly: “The Quiet Skies program has been used for nearly two decades to target and surveil everyday Americans, violating our constitutional rights.” That’s not just a policy critique; it’s a wake-up call. When government tools are weaponized against citizens, we’re on a slippery slope to tyranny.
Ending Quiet Skies is a win for personal freedom, but the damage is done—trust in these agencies is battered, and taxpayers are out billions with nothing to show for it. Noem’s call for an investigation is a start, but it’ll take more than reports to rebuild faith in a system that’s been gamed for political ends.