CNN
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Tulsi Gabbard, who was nominated by President Donald Trump to lead the intelligence community, said earlier this year that her international travel patterns and connections triggered government algorithms that prompted additional security checks before flights. Three people involved said that he had been temporarily placed on the National Security Bureau’s list. he told CNN.
Gabbard was quickly removed from a little-known show called “Quiet Skies” after she went public with claims that she had been placed on a “secret terrorist watch list.”
Gabbard claimed she was on the list because she criticized then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris in an interview with Fox News, but two sources flatly denied having anything to do with it.
“The TSA has placed me on the Quiet Skies Domestic Terrorism Watch List, which can only be described as the ultimate betrayal,” she said in a September post to X. “The Harris-Biden administration is now threatening me with domestic terrorism. Why? They see me as a threat to their power.”
The episode has raised eyebrows among security officials, who point to Gabbard’s history of unusual relationships abroad. As a member of parliament in 2017, she traveled to Syria outside official channels and met with President Bashar al-Assad.
CNN has reached out to Gabbard for comment.
The circumstances that led to Gabbard joining “Quiet Skies” may be entirely benign, these sources said. But multiple U.S. officials say it is highly unusual, if not unprecedented, for a candidate for a top post such as director of national intelligence to be placed on any kind of government watch list. said the person.
Under normal circumstances, Gabbard would be forced to explain her international travel and contacts during a background check, one official said.
But President Trump has hinted that he may bypass the normal background check process for potential candidates, leaving questions about what, if anything, Gabbard will need to disclose. , or whether national security officials will even be given a chance to assess whether Gabbard’s actions pose a problem. Any risk.
The Quiet Skies algorithm looks at various government-held travel patterns, international connections and other data and, if triggered, can lead to additional security screening at airports by air marshals. But it has nothing to do with the FBI’s terrorist watch list. Security officials from multiple agencies told CNN that the program is known within the government for having far more lenient standards for participation.
In response to questions from CNN, the TSA declined to confirm that Gabbard was on the list, but noted that the program is “not a terrorist watch list.”
“TSA uses multi-layered security processes to protect the nation’s transportation system and ensure the freedom of movement of people and commerce,” the agency said in a statement. “TSA’s Quiet Skies program is an automated, risk-based approach to transportation security that includes identifying potential risks and applying enhanced security measures.”
The statement continued: “TSA’s Quiet Skies program is not a terrorist watch list. It leverages USG intelligence and databases to apply screening measures.”
The episode has already caused serious discomfort to some Republican senators due to their unorthodox foreign policy positions, particularly their history of public statements that critics say reflect Russia’s talking points. Adds a new specter of uncertainty to candidates who have given
This article has been updated with a statement from TSA.
