It’s not every day the TSA tries to make airport checkpoints political, but that’s exactly what Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem did with a new partisan video on the government shutdown, prompting several airports to refuse to play along.

Airports Reject Kristi Noem’s Political TSA Video Blaming Democrats For Shutdown

A growing number of U.S. airports have declined to display a Department of Homeland Security video in which Secretary Kristi L. Noem blames congressional Democrats for the government shutdown and related travel disruptions. The video was intended to play on screens at TSA checkpoints, but airports from Portland to Phoenix have refused to air it, calling the message inappropriate and partisan.

Officials in Buffalo, Charlotte, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Seattle, and Portland all confirmed they declined to show the video. Many cited policies prohibiting political messaging or laws that restrict the use of public resources for political purposes.

“We believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes and messaging,” said Molly Prescott, spokesperson for the Port of Portland, which operates Portland International Airport. She added that Oregon law also forbids public employees from promoting or opposing political parties while on the job. “This is the first time to our knowledge that the Port has declined to play a video,” she said.

In neighboring Westchester County, just north of New York City, officials also refused to show the message. County Executive Ken Jenkins called it “inconsistent with the values we expect from our nation’s top public officials” and “unnecessarily alarmist.”

An Unusual Message For Airport Screens

Airports routinely play short DHS messages from the Homeland Security Secretary around holidays or policy changes. Past clips have been procedural, including reminders about ID requirements, prohibited items, or TSA safety updates. Noem’s new message, however, strayed far from that neutral tone.

In the video, Noem begins with the standard line: “It is TSA’s top priority to make sure that you have the most pleasant and efficient airport experience as possible.” But then she pivots sharply into politics, declaring, “Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted.”

She concludes: “We will continue to do all that we can to avoid delays that will impact your travel. And our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government.”

Airports Caught In The Middle

For publicly owned airports, the message poses legal as well as ethical problems. Displaying the video is likely a violation of the Hatch Act,  a 1939 law barring federal employees from engaging in political activity on the job, or of state laws that restrict political advocacy using public property.

That’s not a small concern for airport authorities who depend on the federal government for FAA infrastructure funding. As Britton noted, some local officials may feel pressure to “play along” to avoid friction with Washington.

Others simply lack the infrastructure to play such videos with sound at all. Several airport representatives noted that TSA messaging is often silent or handled through third-party screen systems not directly controlled by DHS.

Meanwhile, the shutdown continues to affect thousands of unpaid TSA workers and air traffic controllers. The impact is being felt across major hubs, though we’ve been spared widespread delays and cancellations thus far.

CONCLUSION

TSA checkpoint videos are meant to reassure passengers, not campaign for one political party over another. By blaming Democrats for the shutdown in a video intended for public display at airports, Secretary Noem crossed a line that most local authorities wisely refused to follow.

Airports aren’t campaign venues. The last thing passengers need before a flight, especially during a government shutdown, is a partisan message in the security line. That said, I still believe Senate Democrats need to vote for cloture such that the continuing resolution can pass and the government reopened again…today would be ideal.

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