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A number of major international airports across the United States, such as Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have decided to prevent a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that blames Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing federal government shutdown from being shown at their checkpoint areas.

Regulatory Concerns Cited by Airport Authorities

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have refused to show the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the overtly political messaging could contravene state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act, which forbids government workers from participating in political campaigning.

“Congressional Democrats refuse to fund the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our operations are affected, and most of our Transportation Security Administration staff are working without pay,” the Secretary stated in the video.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority noted that it “did not consent to displaying the video in its present version, as we maintain the federal law clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes.” It added that Oregon law prohibits public employees from supporting or criticizing any political party and that consenting to broadcast this video would violate state law.

Las Vegas Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also refused to display the TSA video on comparable reasons, stating in a statement that “the video's message contained partisan statements that did not align with the neutral, educational purpose of the public service announcements typically shown at checkpoint screens” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a U.S. law that bans partisan actions by federal employees to ensure that public services remain non-partisan.

Additional Airport Responses

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport explained that it “refused to post the PSA” to remain “in line with airport guidelines,” which prohibits political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also refused, citing “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte airport clarified that North Carolina local regulations and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not allow the video in question.” The airport also noted that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any monitors at its checkpoints and that its limited digital screens are designated for directions, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Objection

Westchester County, in a public comment, called the video “inappropriate, improper, and inconsistent with the values we anticipate from our federal leaders.”

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

DHS Reply

A Department of Homeland Security official, Tricia McLaughlin, echoed Noem’s wording to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a statement, stating that “Democrats will soon realize the significance of reopening the government.”

Cross-Party Calls for Resolution

The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “urge cooperative actions to end the government shutdown” and was striving to identify methods to support federal employees working without pay during the closure.