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A number of key global air travel hubs across the United States, such as Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have chosen to restrict a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that faults Democrats for the current government closure from playing at their security checkpoints.

Legal Concerns Cited by Airport Authorities

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York have declined to broadcast the footage at screening areas, stating that the clearly partisan content could breach state and federal law, including the Hatch Act, which prohibits government workers from engaging in political campaigning.

“Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and as a result, many of our functions are affected, and most of our TSA staff are working without pay,” Noem stated in the video.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland noted that it “did not consent to airing the video in its current form, as we consider the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes.” The port further stated that Oregon law bars public employees from supporting or criticizing any political party and that consenting to play this content would break Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Position

The Harry Reid airport also refused to show the TSA video on similar grounds, stating in a statement that “its content contained political messaging that did not align with the neutral, informational purpose of the PSAs usually shown at security checkpoints” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a federal law that bans political activities by government employees to guarantee that public services remain unbiased.

Additional Authority Responses

• Phoenix Sky Harbor airport stated that it “refused to post the video” to remain “in line with airport guidelines,” which does not allow political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also refused, pointing to “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that state local regulations and the airport's rules for screen content “do not allow the video in question.” The authority also noted that the TSA does not own any monitors at its security areas and that its limited display monitors are designated for wayfinding, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester Objection

The county, in a public comment, called the PSA “inappropriate, improper, and out of line with the standards we anticipate from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The public service announcement politicizes the impacts of a government closure on security operations,” the county executive stated, noting that the message was “overly alarming” and “undermines public trust.”

Homeland Security Reply

A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated Noem’s wording to blame “political gamesmanship” in a statement, adding that “Democratic leaders will soon recognize the importance of opening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Resolution

The Seattle authority commented that it continued to “encourage cooperative actions to end the federal closure” and was working to find methods to support government workers unpaid during the shutdown.