It Looks Like January 6th Capitol Protestors Are Being Added To TSA Watch Lists

After union boss Sara Nelson and the Democratic chairman of the House Homeland Security committee called for Capitol rioters to be added to the nation’s “No Fly List” Delta Air Lines confirmed this was happening and so did the CEO of American.

One family that went to DC but says they didn’t participate in any of the riots, never entered the Capitol, and weren’t charged with anything didn’t get put on the no fly list but appears to have been added to a watch list and now gets manhandled every time they fly.

They had their home raided looking for Nancy Pelosi’s laptop. The FBI took their laptops, though ultimately returned to them (unusable), along with their copy of the U.S. constitution.

Now whenever they travel they get intense scrutiny.

“They went through every piece of clothing, every piece of paper, swabbed everything,” Paul said, of TSA at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. After going through the full-body scanner, the couple were physically patted down.

Missing their first flight, they booked the next one available. When they arrived at the gate to board, TSA was waiting for them again, and went through all of their belongings once more.

The couple arrived in Seattle, but then missed their flight out of Seattle due to their Anchorage experience and also because they were turned away at the gate and forced to submit to TSA baggage and personal searches again, and yet again at the gate.

Everything in their bags touched once again by TSA, everything swabbed for traces of explosives, full-body pat-downs. Again, TSA was waiting for them at the jetway and went through all their possessions one last time.

For their flight home on July 5, after all the pat downs, scans, and checks, there was even a last surprise mobile TSA checkpoint placed halfway down the jetway to their plane in order to intercept them again to swab their carryons and for agents to interrogate them.

Living in Homer, Alaska the family can’t get many places without flying and most trips require a connection.

When their home was raided they were held at gunpoint, handcuffed, and not allowed to use the bathroom for hours. You might say ‘but they were at the Capitol on January 6th’ and if they were convicted of activities related to the riots that day I might not be sympathetic. But they haven’t been charged. Many people there were innocent of wrongdoing. And there doesn’t appear to be any reason to suspect they’re a threat to aviation. Indeed, they’ve flown successfully and their behavior on those flights proves it.

Remember that it’s precisely the rule of law we’re defending when coming out against what happened in DC that day. And violations of rights used against people who were there will be used against everyone else later when someone else is in power. Yet the Biden administration is considering adding even more Americans to No Fly and other watch lists.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. The Democrat Party and the Biden Regime are now a Terrorist Organization. Guilty until proven innocent. Stalin would be proud of them.

  2. Quite the article to write based on claims by people that flew from Alaska to DC to protest American democracy. Clint me skeptical that they ‘protested’ but didn’t ‘riot’ Come on…

  3. “One family that went to DC but says they didn’t participate in any of the riots, never entered the Capitol”

    Note that they CLAIM they didn’t enter the Capitol or participate in riots.

    Sorry, but I don’t feel any sympathy for these people. They all went to DC on Jan. 6 because they thought the election was stolen–without evidence. It’s about time there are repercussions for people who went to DC to at best stop the Electoral College and at worst tried to physically assault police & anyone else in the Capitol that day.

  4. This is wonderful news! They all deserve it. Don’t forget the chaos that continued in the days after the terrorist attack as these insurgents returned to their home bases. They accosted and terrified regular folks in airport terminals and during flights. Pathetic sore losers and traitors, the whole bunch of them.

    I heard something on the news today that their leader spoke at a conservative event in Dallas today and called one of the terrorists who was shot and killed by DC police a “patriot”. My gawd, I can’t believe how 4 years of utter cretinism had brought us to this point.

  5. They should have thought about that before they believed all their stupid “THe STOOooRM!” Qanon intellectually bankrupt BS. Good riddance. Insurrections have consequences.

  6. Respectfully, Gary, you missed a key detail in your article sourced from another: “Marilyn says she never went inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, although Paul posted on Facebook photos of her on the steps of the Capitol.”

    You made it seem like this random family was raided solely because they flew to DC ahead of the insurrection on the capitol. No, these people were active participants. Further, Marilyn matched the description of the person who entered Pelosi’s office and stole the infamous laptop.

    I support a policy of better safe than sorry when it comes to watch lists. However, I do also support more transparency so that people added to these lists can be offered an appeal.

    But 0 empathy for this family, that’s for sure. These are terrorist supporters or possibly future terrorists and I would want them screened multiple times if they were sitting next to me on my next flight.

  7. However, you don’t know what the FBI found on their computers and cell phones.
    There is more to this story than the couple are saying….

  8. These people are a menace to society and should consider themselves lucky to be able to fly at all.

  9. The threshold should be if they entered the building or not. Some people believe that if they followed the crowd then entered briefly but didn’t break stuff and left soon afterwards, that should also be ok.

    I would never have even thought of going. The pandemic was really bad then. The pandemic is still not over but a little better than the peak in late December.

  10. They are sure they were being treated unfairly….they are also sure the election was stolen.

    So, at the very least, this proves they’re morons. I can’t imagine they’d stand up and say…”I’m one of the terrorists from DC on the 6th.

    I feel quite comfortable feeling the FBI had reason to do what they did. But for those who still have a problem with it…join BLM…. black people in this country have had an issue with being stopped, searched and held for years….for no other reason than bring in the area of a crime.

    Feel their pain

  11. Sorry, Gary, you don’t know the whole story. WRONG, to even post this! You don’t know these individuals’ background. Because obviously there is way more to this, than this family is telling. This has nothing to do with miles and points. Why do I even bother getting these emails anymore?

  12. Everyone else +1. Your O for 2 on your posts today Gary. No one cares what this family thinks about themselves, and no one wants to read about what happened to a poopy diaper on an airplane. I feel like this blog is turning into the National Enquirer

  13. @Sean
    And if someone did go inside the Capitol….so what? At best they’re guilty of trespassing or maybe some variation of “unauthorized entry” etc. When are all the people who caused mayhem and destruction for months on end last year being added to the list for lifelong harassment at airports?
    This is nothing more than Biden using the strength of the government to harass people. We’re no better than the Soviets, the Chinese or the North Koreans…..maybe not quite yet DPRK but give that time too.

  14. What is it w/bloggers hating on Sara Nelson? Blogger twits apparently have group meetings to discuss how Sara Nelson runs the world!?!?!?! Gary Leff and Matthew Klint (“live and let’s fly”) drank the kool-aid at their last get together. I thought boardingarea.com was about travel experiences, but I guess it’s just privileged white guys shouting at clouds. Bummer.

  15. Totally agree with Gary here. For those posting that “we don’t know what else they had on them”, I would counter that they have NOT been charged with anything. This is a terrible precedent, and I’m not shocked at all by this behavior at this point.
    It’s not about having sympathy for them, it’s about people’s basic right to protest. How ignorant of people to say that this family didn’t have evidence the election was stolen!! Who cares! You don’t need evidence to protest peacefully. It is utterly foolish to try and round up EVERYONE that attended the protest, even if they didn’t enter the Capitol grounds. They did nothing wrong and should not be punished for it. It is nothing less than criminalizing an opposing viewpoint and will only further divide the country.

  16. Alan, Mr. Trump wrote in 1989 that “Criminals must be told that their CIVIL LIBERTIES END WHEN AN ATTACK ON OUR SAFETY BEGINS” that was in connection with the Central Park Five, a group of completely innocent young men who were railroaded into prison while Donald yelled that they should be executed. In short, he inflamed an already bad situation. And yes, Stalin would have loved that. But I can’t think of anything much worse than joining a mob intent on bringing down the U.S. government. If it’s terrorism to go after such people than so be it.

  17. Oh – well they said they were innocent so that must end the matter. Right . . . .
    Ya see – judges only approve this stuff when they’re presented with evidence. Perhaps they should have thought twice before participating in what was an attempted violent overthrow of the government. This was not a peaceful protest contract to some deluded comments above. A judge found enough evidence existed. End of story.

  18. Meanwhile, democrats raise bail money for BLM looters and terrorists burning down US cities (including black owned businesses). Okay.

  19. @Kenny : The GOP raising money like crazy w/The Big Lie. Newsflash: Trump lost!!

    Great job Gary Leff. Spot on travel reporting.

  20. Kenny, that may be right. Dems raise money for people fed up with being killed because they’re black. I know. It’s not like they’re white, right? Deal with it, you say.

    RepubliKKKans raise money for people who willfully try to bring down the US gov’t. The cry out how they love our country.

    Fat, drunk and stupid….Otherwise known as a Trumpf rally

  21. 4th Amendment. Our government is tyrannical. what a shame. We’ll see all these BS misdemeanors go to the Supreme Court. Who shot Ashli Elizabeth Babbitt? Is the killer going to be on the TSA list?

  22. @Steve: Ashli getting hoisted into the chamber by Q & Co? That one? And the cop that shot her, was he one of the cops who got killed on 1/6 or one of the 140 cops who got injured? So much for the “law and order party”. They tried to overthrow the government and came very close to succeeding and then there’s Steve.

  23. Steve,

    The hero cop who killed Ashitly (the P.O.S.), did our country a favor. One less court case for our tax money to be wasted on. We kill terrorists, remember?

  24. Fantastic travel insights, Gary. Diapers and Insurrectionists. You are on a roll. Why don’t you actually start traveling and do something that you can write about. It’s clear that while the rest of us are moving out there you are just sitting there and getting news feeds from your basement.

  25. There are always two sides to every situation, and we almost never know the whole story. Having a hard time believing that the government simply wants to waste its time and resources picking on this family.

  26. I can see clearly you’re biased writing this story. The family “claimed” they didn’t “do anything” on 1/6. Do you know what happened? Were you involved?
    It’s clear they were involved in some degree, otherwise why would their house be searched in the first place? Out of tens of thousands that were there that day, THEY were the ones that got searched, you believe the government would simply search them without cause? Without evidence?
    Your writings have been more and more clear of what you believe in— anti-mask and pro-Trump.

  27. Remember after 9/11 how lots of Muslims and even brown non-Muslims (like turban wearing Sikhs) were profiled/abused and mistreated even though they had nothing to do with 9/11??

    First they came for…..

  28. Just wondering, if they didn’t have anything to do with 1/6. How or why did the government find out who they were and raid their homes. I’m assuming a judge signed off on a warrant with some kind of probably cause.

  29. Crocodile tears coming from the folks who cheered the Trump regime literally black bagging peaceful protesters into unmarked vehicles on the streets of Portland. Why not LOCK THEM UP and figure it out later like *they* did to their political opponents?

    We keep bringing a knife to a gun fight with these sorts of people. They have no respect for rule of law, so give them none. They are simply a cancer who need to be eradicated from the political sphere without mercy or regret. LOCK THEM UP.

  30. This would have been a whole lot simpler if everyone who crossed the threshold into the capitol on Jan 6 was just shot on sight. That’s what we would have done to any foreign hostile invader, domestic terrorists should have been treated the same. There should have been hundreds dead — make an example of them.

  31. this couple gave a one sided story.

    BTW, i was at the capitol that day and saw this couple protesting and egging people on to riot.

    see?

  32. @ Lance – wow. I’m not even sure where to start. There is a growing movement of intolerance on the left, and you’re clearly leading the charge. Killing people for entering a building that is property of each and every citizen of this nation? What’s next, death squads for those who don’t vote blue in their local primary? Your belief system would be better suited for the DPRK than the US. Shameful.

  33. The dems only care about control. They use the guise of “protecting” American or “helping the oppressed” as a way to crush civil liberties and to get their way and control of society. This is how authoritarians gain power. It’s been well studied and yet people still think it will be different this time, that this government really does care. But current leftists think they will be safe because its only happening to people on the right they oppose. Newsflash – elected politicians don’t run the country…so don’t think you are on “a side”. Fall in line, say and do the “right” things, and you can live with your monthly government check and stay in your home and surf facebook all day. Thats the future the government wants.

  34. Normally it seems to be about 50/50 right/left commenters in this blog, maybe slightly more to the right but still pretty balanced. This post is heavily skewed with extreme leftist comments. Seems someONE is mad.

  35. This is a lesson about the presumption of innocence. A lesson a lot of commenters here need a remedial lesson on.

  36. Democrats all believe this country is systemically racist and evil. Democrats all believe the constitution was written soley to maintain a system of oppressive racism and white supremacy. Democrats all want this country to be overthrown and re-built.

    Democrats all consider the US capitol to be a symbol of racist oppression and systemic racism.

    Yet they all act like its a personal affront that a group of people would storm a building they all would like to see to deatroyed and torn down. It just wasn’t them doing it so they are butthurt.

    Even funnier is that it is now a known fact that just like in the Garland ISIS attack, the FBI had informants and operatives in the attack on the capitol: The FBI knew what was going to happen but like the ISIS attack in Garland, the Boston bombing, Parkland shootings, the FBI did nothing to stop something they knew was going to happen.

    But yeah be butthurt that Democrats are all talk, no actions.

  37. Here is my issue:

    This article as well as most comments are littered with logical fallacies (gary – slippery slope, others: hasty generalizations, red herrings, ad hominem to name a few).

  38. Duh! The point of a Terrorist Watch List is to keep terrorists off the planes. Keep the insurgents & the traitors on the ground.

  39. Free idiots — even America’s anti-American ones who supported Trump and his anti-American lies and ways before, during and after elections — have a right to fly too on their tickets without extraordinary government harassment.

    In the absence of being subject to due process of law in an open court of law, free Americans should be not be suggest to government blacklisting in exercising their freedom of movement by air travel within their own country.

    And I say this as someone who has disliked Donald Trump since before he was even buddies with Bill Clinton and Jeffrey Epstein and in the all years since. I proudly voted against Donald Trump in 2016 and in 2020 at every chance I got (even as it had me pinching my nose in November 2016); and in keeping with my values that had me strongly opposed to Trump, I stick to being opposed to the extra-judicial blacklisting of flying Americans who are otherwise free to move about the country.

  40. That should read: “Should not be ***subject*** to government blacklisting”

  41. GUWonder,

    One problem with what you’re saying…. People don’t have a “right” to fly. Travel freely, yes. Fly, no. For instance, they are free to walk from TX to FL and shouldn’t face undo influence from the gov’t doing so BUT…. as their past actions have caused a determination that they “could” be a danger on a plane they’ve been labeled a risk.

    Remember, people of the ilk of the Jan 6th terrorists are largely functioning morons, easily convinced of things like the election being stolen. They’re too stupid to learn why that’s ridiculous so, they just need to be told, by an orange blob, that space lasers, the ghost of Chavez, or a conspiracy, that would literally require millions of people to pull off( imagine that Zoom meeting), are responsible…..and they readily believe that.

    For the record, here in PA, DJT won the illegal (attempted) vote with a grand total of…..4

    Wait, I meant……4.

  42. Fully agree with keeping these morons off our planes. They should have considered the repercussions before participating in an attempted coup.

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