Sen. Paul claims airport X-ray machines are programmed to go off at random

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) accused the Transportation Security Administration of programming its X-ray machines to trigger random searches.

A day earlier, Paul was stopped by security officials at Nashville International Airport after an X-ray machine set off alarms. Paul said Tuesday in an interview with Laura Ingraham that he thinks the TSA has intentionally programmed its machines to go off randomly to allow for random searches, unbeknownst to some airport security personnel.

“I was screened because the scanner is programmed to go off at a random screening,” Paul said. “I think the machine is indicating it because they don’t want to tell you to your face that you’ve been selected for a random pat-down.”

Paul refused a pat-down and booked a later flight to Washington that day, requiring him to go through the X-ray machine again. The second time the machine did not go off.

“Why would it go off one time and not the next unless they are programmed to illicit random pat-downs?” Paul inquired. 

A woman claiming to be a TSA agent called into the radio show and said the machines are not programmed for random pat-downs. Paul said he believes some security personnel are unaware that the machines are programmed to go off randomly.

“I was told by two TSA agents the other day that the people running the machines are unaware of this also,” Paul said.

After the incident Monday, Paul said airport security is necessary but the pat-downs are excessive.

“We need security, and everybody should go through some,” Paul said Monday during an interview with Lexington, Ky., radio host Leland Conway.

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