Gabbard slams 'politically motivated' surveillance as effort to 'intimidate' her following criticism of Harris

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said her placement connected the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) "Quiet Skies" watchlist was "politically motivated" aft revelations astir her surveillance nether the Biden medication came to airy during a Senate hearing.

Gabbard told Fox News big Laura Ingraham connected Tuesday that she believes she was placed connected the database aft a July 22 interrogation with "The Ingraham Angle" wherever she criticized then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ enactment capabilities.

Gabbard’s remarks came soon aft erstwhile President Joe Biden dropped retired of the 2024 statesmanlike contention and endorsed Harris arsenic the Democratic nominee.

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"I deliberation they were trying to intimidate me, but also, they were trying to truly make this chilling effect, astir apt knowing that I wouldn't enactment soundless astir it and nonstop a connection retired to radical that if you spell and knock then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who is present going to beryllium the Democratic nominee for president, you too, would look the consequences," the erstwhile Democratic congresswoman explained. 

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said astatine a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing that helium received a acceptable of records from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding Gabbard’s placement connected "Quiet Skies" that confirmed national aerial marshals surveilled her connected home flights successful 2024.

Paul noted that the aerial marshals reported backmost accusation related to the quality chief’s quality and however galore electronics she was observed using.

Gabbard announced a alteration successful her presumption connected FISA's conception 702.  (Getty Images)

The TSA's "Quiet Skies" programme was established successful 2010 to place passengers for enhanced screening connected immoderate home and outbound planetary flights.

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DHS said successful an April 2019 report that individuals are flagged for enhanced screening based connected aggregated question data, intelligence, a inclination investigation of the quality and suspicious activity.

The programme has travel nether scrutiny implicit a deficiency of transparency and concerns astir civilian liberties violations.

CNN reported successful November that Gabbard was concisely placed connected the database earlier rapidly being removed. TSA told the outlet that the programme is not a violent watchlist.

"TSA’s Quiet Skies programme is simply a risk-based, automated attack to proscription security, to see identifying imaginable risks and applying enhanced information measures," the national bureau noted. "It leverages USG quality accusation and databases to use screening measures."

TSA did not instantly respond to a petition for remark from Fox News Digital astir the programme and erstwhile Gabbard was added to the list.

The deadline for REAL ID implementation is May 7.  (Getty Images)

Ingraham asked the Army Reserve veteran whether the programme should inactive exist, to which Gabbard responded, "No."

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"This ‘Quiet Skies’ programme that the TSA, nether the Department of Homeland Security, has tasked to national aerial marshals to execute — not a azygous violent has been caught. Not a azygous one, for arsenic agelong arsenic this programme has existed," she said.

"So, instead, what is continuing to happen, truthful agelong arsenic this programme continues, is, each azygous day, 40 oregon 50 national aerial marshals are tasked with surveilling mundane Americans for nary purpose."