[4] Since the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks, John Pistole has been involved in the formation of terrorism policies during the Bush and Obama administrations.

On April 14, 2004, Pistole testified before the 9/11 Commission at its 10th public hearing on a panel, Preventing Future Attacks Inside the United States.

The page on the 9/11 Commission website does not include Pistole's name, and the PDF transcript does not list him as a participant, but he testified on June 16, 2004, as a panelist.

[citation needed] On October 16, 2014, Pistole announced that he would retire as TSA administrator effective December 31, 2014, and take a position in academia.

[9] On May 30, 2017, news broke that President Donald Trump contacted Pistole about an interview to fill the opening created by the firing of FBI Director James Comey.

[12] On December 6, 2024, he would receive the Sagamore of the Wabash award from Governor Eric Holcomb for his time serving as the university's president.