The TOR project still remains largely funded by the US government. And it wouldn’t be of much use to the US government if it is only used by the US govt approved foreign dissidents(then it would only serve as an easy red flag).

What the US intel organs now want in the open(what used to be in secret before Snowden) is the legality to hack into anyone’s computer computer caught using TOR or a VPN. That is to say, if you are caught using TOR or a VPN, it is sufficient probable cause for the spooks and the police to hack into your computer(or at least try to). Now, if they fail to hack you, that then will really put you under suspicion.

Now, it doesn’t mean that if you use obfuscation methods that you will automatically be hacked. Indeed, it could be a possibility that within a reasonable time frame quite a bit of internet traffic will be tunneled. It simply means that if you pop onto their radar for whatever reason, your obfuscation methods likely won’t help you. Indeed, the better you are at, the more red flags you likely will trigger. If they can’t hack you, then they will likely show up at your door with a standard warrant looking for whatever dirt they can find.