Kristi Noem shuts down controversial TSA watchlist program, calls for Congressional probe

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday ended an expensive and controversial watchlist program, overseen by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), that she claimed failed to "stop a single terrorist attack."

Republicans have accused the program of targeting the Biden administration's political opponents, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, while caving to Democratic influence by keeping some elites off the list. 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said TSA will continue its own vetting functions, including verifying the identities of travelers through REAL ID, but that the Quiet Skies program will close.

“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," Noem said in a statement. “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.” 

Noem also called for a Congressional investigation into the program, which she claimed undermined national security at the expense of Americans. The program has cost U.S. taxpayers approximately $200 million a year.

The closure comes after DHS accused Democratic New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of corruption by allegedly using her influence to remove her husband from an airplane watchlist during the Biden administration.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.