Tulsi Gabbard warned that suspected terrorists living in the United States pose a "direct threat," criticizing what she says was rushed or inadequate vetting after the 2021 Afghanistan evacuation. She cited NCTC figures she says show roughly 18,000 known or suspected terrorists admitted in recent years, including about 2,000 Afghans. Whistleblowers reportedly told her they were ordered to speed up screenings, and Gabbard pointed to a Thanksgiving shooting involving an Afghan national as an example of alleged consequences.
Tulsi Gabbard: Suspected Terrorists Living in U.S. Represent a 'Direct Threat,' She Says
U.S. Air Force loadmasters and pilots assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron load passengers aboard a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III in support of the Afghanistan evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul Aug. 24, 2021.
Former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard warned that suspected terrorists now residing in the United States represent a "direct threat" to public safety and criticized the Biden administration for what she describes as insufficient vetting of some migrants admitted after the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal.
Figures Cited: Gabbard cited data she attributed to the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), saying roughly 18,000 known or suspected terrorists have been admitted to the United States in recent years. She also said about 2,000 of those individuals were Afghan nationals who arrived following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Gabbard told viewers on the program Saturday in America that her greatest concern is the number of potentially dangerous individuals who remain undetected. She said whistleblowers involved in post-withdrawal screenings reported being told to accelerate vetting during the rapid evacuation, which she argued increased the risk of incomplete background checks.
Tulsi Gabbard, director of national intelligence, during a Cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., July 8.
"They were told, 'Hurry up, don't do the thorough vetting that you normally do because we have to hurry up and get these people into the United States,'" Gabbard said, recounting whistleblower accounts.
Gabbard called the situation "devastating," pointing to a high-profile incident around Thanksgiving in which two National Guard soldiers were shot; one died and the other remained critically injured. Authorities identified the suspected shooter as an Afghan national. Gabbard said the episode illustrates the "real-world consequences" of hurried screening.
Political Context and Responses
The article notes that the Trump administration has criticized the Biden administration's immigration and vetting policies; during his presidency, Mr. Trump pursued stricter immigration enforcement. Fox News Digital reported it reached out to President Biden for comment on Gabbard's statements.
Important Caveat: Many of the claims in Gabbard's remarks are presented as her interpretation of NCTC data and whistleblower statements. Independent verification of the totals and the details of internal vetting instructions was not provided in her remarks and may be subject to further review.
