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Several prominent global air travel hubs across the United States, such as Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have opted to block a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that faults Democrats for the ongoing federal government shutdown from playing at their checkpoint areas.

Regulatory Issues Raised by Aviation Authorities

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have refused to broadcast the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the overtly political messaging could breach federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act, which forbids federal employees from engaging in political campaigning.

“Congressional Democrats refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our activities are disrupted, and most of our TSA workers are not receiving wages,” the Secretary stated in the video.

Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland noted that it “did not consent to playing the PSA in its current form, as we consider the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political aims.” It added that Oregon law bars public employees from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that agreeing to broadcast this video would violate Oregon law.

Las Vegas Statement

The Harry Reid airport also declined to show the TSA video on similar grounds, saying in a release that “its content contained partisan statements that was inconsistent with the neutral, informational purpose of the public service announcements typically displayed at checkpoint screens” and also cited the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a federal law that forbids political activities by federal employees to ensure that government programs remain unbiased.

Additional Airport Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport stated that it “refused to post the PSA” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which prohibits political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly declined, pointing to “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that North Carolina municipal law and the airport's rules for screen content “do not allow the video in question.” The authority also added that the TSA does not own any screens at its security areas and that its few display monitors are designated for wayfinding, flight updates, and paid advertisements.

Westchester Criticism

The county, in a public comment, called the PSA “inappropriate, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the values we expect from our federal leaders.”

“The public service announcement makes political the effects of a government closure on TSA operations,” the county leader stated, adding that the tone was “overly alarming” and “undermines public trust.”

Homeland Security Response

A DHS official, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated the Secretary's language to blame “political gamesmanship” in a statement, adding that “Democrats will shortly recognize the significance of opening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Solution

The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “urge bipartisan efforts to end the government shutdown” and was striving to identify ways to assist government workers unpaid during the closure.