A federal program that caused scandal and controversy by targeting political dissidents is now history.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Thursday the end of the anti-free speech “Quiet Skies” program, which was perverted from its original purpose of screening dangerous, violent extremists.
MRC Free Speech America previously highlighted how the Biden-era Department of Homeland Security weaponized “Quiet Skies” against political opponents of the administration. Worse yet, this program, part of the Transportation and Security Administration (TSA), “has failed to stop a SINGLE terrorist attack while costing US taxpayers roughly $200 million a year,” Noem posted on X Thursday.
In her post, Noem confirmed what MRC pointed out in its March 2025 Special Report. She wrote the following: “DHS and TSA have uncovered documents, correspondence, and timelines that clearly highlight the inconsistent application of Quiet Skies. The program, under the guise of ‘national security,’ was used to target political opponents and benefit political allies of the Biden Administration.”
Noem said DHS launched an internal investigation and urged Congress to do the same.
“TSA will continue performing important vetting functions to stop security threats and ensure the safety of the American traveler,” Noem declared, adding later: “The Trump Administration will return TSA to its true mission of being laser-focused on the safety and security of traveling public.”
MRC highlighted the “Quiet Skies” weaponization in initiative #28 of its exclusive report on the Biden administration’s 57 censorship initiatives. The most infamous example involved veteran and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), who is now director of national intelligence. She went on Laura Ingraham’s show in July 2024 to discuss the Biden administration’s censorship, after which, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reportedly put her on its “Quiet Skies” blacklist. This politically biased action stripped Gabbard of her flight preclearance and subjected her to enhanced screening and surveillance every time she traveled.
Another target of “Quiet Skies” was now-Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former presidential candidate and Biden rival, who was denied Secret Service protection and used his 2024 campaign funds for security as a result.
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