The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has alleged that former Biden administration officials misused Transportation Security Administration (TSA) watchlists to target January 6 suspects and mask violators for enhanced screening and denial of boarding.

DHS Alleges TSA Watchlists Were Weaponized Under Biden Administration

According to a press release from the Department of Homeland Security, an internal review concluded that TSA officials improperly used the Quiet Skies program and other watchlisting tools against US citizens who were “not aviation security threats.” The report alleges that individuals connected to the treasonous January 6, 2021 rebellion and those who resisted mask mandates were among those targeted. In some cases, passengers were denied boarding or repeatedly subjected to additional screening “without cause.”

These officials, under the direction and leadership of former Biden TSA Administrator David Pekoske, systematically watchlisted and denied boarding to those who exercised their individual rights and resisted mask mandates on airplanes nearly six months after the CDC relaxed its indoor mask mandate. 

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who ordered the review after assuming her role leading DHS, has removed five senior TSA officials and referred the matter to the Department of Justice and Congress for further investigation. The report also points to favoritism, noting that exemptions were granted to politically connected individuals (such as the husband of a Democratic U.S. Senator) while others were flagged without justification. The program reportedly cost hundreds of millions of dollars while failing to prevent a single terrorist attack.

Analysis

The allegations raise serious questions about the misuse of aviation security programs. Watchlists exist to protect passengers and the aviation system, not to punish political opponents or people who hold unpopular views. The DHS report alleges clear evidence of abuse and suggests that existing safeguards were ignored. That makes this more than a partisan talking point, even though there’s more than a tad of irony in the Trump Administration suddenly concerned about free speech or the rights of the accused.

From my perspective, there are many key details still lacking that make any assessment of this news impossible. Those who violated federal mask mandates, while they were in place, were left on the watchlist even after the mandate was lifted. Reducing this to targeting those who “exercised their individual rights” is a gross simplification and obsfuscation. I hate wearing masks and was always against the mask mandate. That said, the Biden Administration was within its powers to issue such a mandate, even if it was based more on fear than on public health. And those who violated it were rightfully placed on a watchlist, not because they were a health threat to others, but because they violated a lawful federal mandate.

As for the January 6th protestors, the question is who was added to the watchlist? Just people in DC that day or those who were identified as actually breaking into the Capitol complex, an act of treason. I won’t defend placing everyone who showed up on January 6th to protest in the same group that attacked the Capitol. But there’s no transparency here. Recall that the “law and order” President pardoned violent protesters who stormed the Capitol that day, including thugs like David Dempsey, Shane Jenkins, Kyle Fitzsimons, and Kenneth Bonawitz, all of whom should have been executed instead of pardoned.

What happens next will depend on whether the Justice Department pursues criminal or civil action and whether Congress takes up the matter with hearings or new legislation (of course, another opportunity to grandstand).

Politics aside, while DHS has moved quickly to remove those it deems falsely implicated, the broader concern is how easily systems designed for counterterrorism were repurposed for domestic politics…and since payback is a…well, you know…will the new administration use those same tools to target those it deems a threat? Without stronger guardrails, the same tools could be abused again under this and future administrations.

For that reason, I’m glad to talk about it…and I’m glad that Noem is exposing any potential abuses in the prior administration. I’m just not convinced yet that those added to the watchlist did not belong on it.

CONCLUSION

DHS is alleging that watchlists were turned into political tools under the Biden administration. If true, this represents a major breach of public trust and a misuse of programs intended for national security. But will the Trump administration now misuse those same programs against its enemies? Whether these allegations lead to accountability in the courts or in Congress remains to be seen, but I certainly hope that if Congress investigates, the goal will not be retribution, but ensuring this sort of thing never happens again, regardless of who is in the White House.