Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the United States faces a “direct threat” from suspected terrorists she says are now inside the country, tying her warning to a National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) estimate shared publicly in recent days. (Anadolu Ajansı)
In a weekend interview, Gabbard accused the Biden administration of failing to apply adequate vetting and said she is concerned there are additional individuals “we are not aware of yet,” according to reporting summarizing her remarks. (Anadolu Ajansı)
The number at the center of the dispute
The figure repeatedly cited by Gabbard and other officials comes from NCTC Director Joe Kent’s opening statement at a Dec. 11 House Homeland Security Committee hearing titled “Worldwide Threats to the Homeland.” In the prepared remarks posted by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Kent said NCTC had “identified around 18,000 known and suspected terrorists” who he claimed entered the U.S. during the Biden administration. (Director of National Intelligence)
In the same statement, Kent asserted that about 2,000 of those identified were among Afghans who entered the U.S. after the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, and said the administration is working with DHS and the FBI to “run down” those cases. (Director of National Intelligence)
Link to a recent attack and Afghan evacuation vetting
Both Gabbard’s comments and Kent’s testimony referenced a shooting the day before Thanksgiving in which two National Guard members were shot, one fatally, with the suspected shooter described as an Afghan national. (Anadolu Ajansı)
Gabbard has also pointed to alleged whistleblower accounts claiming screeners were told to speed up vetting during the Afghan evacuation process. (Anadolu Ajansı)
At the same time, reporting on the controversy has emphasized that there is no evidence the overwhelming majority of Afghans who arrived after 2021 pose a threat, and that many came as allies who feared retaliation from the Taliban. (Anadolu Ajansı)
Pushback and questions about the claims
Critics of Gabbard’s claims — including advocates involved in Afghan resettlement — have disputed her characterization of vetting, arguing evacuees were screened and demanding that the administration substantiate its allegations. (Axios)
Separately, Gabbard has framed terrorism as a continuing, evolving threat and said she worries not only about identified suspects but also about those who may not have been detected by existing processes. (ABC News)
What happens next
Gabbard has said the administration plans to conduct an additional review of Afghans who entered the U.S. following the withdrawal, while NCTC leadership has described the broader effort as part of a push to assess and mitigate homeland threats. (Axios)
