Gabbard warns of terrorist threat from 18,000 suspects in US

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard issued a warning about suspected terrorists inside the United States, blaming the Biden administration for what she called a “direct threat” to the lives of the American people.

The National Counterterrorism Center says about 18,000 known or suspected terrorists were allowed into the country under the previous administration. Gabbard said her greatest concern about the influx is that there are “so many more that we are not aware of yet.”

“The Biden administration did not take their vetting responsibilities seriously,” Gabbard said on “Saturday in America.”

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The Trump administration has frequently criticized the Biden team’s immigration policy and vetting process. During his second term, Trump launched a nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration.

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Of the estimated 18,000 known or suspected terrorists, Gabbard said 2,000 were Afghan nationals who entered following the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Over 100,000 Afghans were evacuated when the United States left Afghanistan, and multiple members of Congress have said the speed of the evacuation led to incomplete vetting.

Fox News Digital reached out to former President Biden for comment. 

Gabbard said whistleblowers have come forward who were part of the vetting process following the withdrawal and told her they were ordered to rush the vetting process so migrants could enter the country during the massive, rapid influx.

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“They [whistleblowers] 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.

She called the situation “devastating” and said it has already led to real-world consequences.

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“What we are seeing right now is the exact result where we have a direct threat on the lives of the American people, and we have the kind of tragedy that we experienced on Thanksgiving with the shooting,” said Gabbard.

The day before Thanksgiving, two National Guard soldiers were shot. One was killed, and the other continues to fight for his life. The suspected shooter is an Afghan national.