What happens when unelected bureaucrats decide they get to be the judge, jury, and surveillance state all in one? We get the Quiet Skies Program—a secretive, unconstitutional scheme that spied on Americans for doing nothing more than exercising their First Amendment rights. This wasn’t some Cold War-era tactic used against foreign spies. Oh no. This was the Biden administration targeting veterans, elected officials, and everyday citizens—people like you and me—because they dared to support President Trump, question COVID policies, or simply attend a political rally.
Thanks to Senator Rand Paul, the ugly truth is finally being dragged into the light.
Let’s start with the basics. The Quiet Skies Program, run by the TSA, was originally designed to track potential threats on flights. You know, actual terrorists. But instead of focusing on real dangers, the Biden administration turned this program into a political weapon. Under their watch, the TSA surveilled Americans not based on criminal activity, but based on political beliefs. Their crime? Supporting Donald Trump. Questioning mandates. Speaking their mind.
Sound familiar? That’s because it’s the same playbook the left always uses. Silence, surveil, and slander anyone who doesn’t bow down to their agenda. But this time, they got caught red-handed.
Senator Paul’s investigation uncovered damning records that show just how far this abuse went. Tulsi Gabbard, who served her country honorably and is now the Director of National Intelligence, was followed by federal agents on at least five domestic flights. Why? Because she criticized the Biden administration and aligned with President Trump. Her face and background were known to the agents. This wasn’t a mistake—it was a targeted political hit job.
And it didn’t stop there.
A Catholic schoolteacher from Texas was labeled a domestic terrorist. Not because she committed a crime. Not because she entered the Capitol on January 6th. But because she attended a rally in support of President Trump. Her phone data proved she never went inside the building. But facts didn’t matter. Her entire family was placed under watch simply for her political beliefs.
This program cost taxpayers $200 million a year and didn’t stop a single terrorist. Instead, it created fear and division, punishing law-abiding Americans who dared to speak freely.
Senator Paul’s hearing also revealed that three sitting Republican members of Congress were secretly listed in a companion TSA program called Silent Partner. Again, no crimes. Just political speech and opposition to leftist policies.
Even worse? The government used outside groups like the George Washington University Project on Extremism—funded by the Department of Homeland Security—to do their dirty work. These groups aren’t bound by the same public transparency rules as federal agencies, letting the bureaucracy maintain plausible deniability while still targeting citizens.
And let’s not forget Dr. Anthony Fauci. According to new evidence, Fauci directed employees at the NIH to destroy federal records tied to COVID’s origins, gain-of-function research, and the Wuhan Lab. He denied it under oath. Now Senator Paul has called him back to testify. The cover-up is falling apart.
This is what happens when powerful government actors are allowed to operate in the shadows. They don’t protect us—they target us.
But here’s the good news: that era is over. President Trump is back in the White House. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has ended Quiet Skies. Real leaders are cleaning house. But the fight isn’t over.
Every official who approved surveillance of Americans for political speech must be held accountable. We must ensure this never happens again. Transparency isn’t optional—it’s essential. And under this administration, it’s finally being restored.
The Constitution isn’t a suggestion. It’s the law of the land. And no unelected bureaucrat—no matter how smug or credentialed—gets to trample it. Not on our watch.