🔗 Share this article

Several key global airports across the America, including Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, 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 continuing government closure from playing at their screening locations.

Legal Concerns Cited by Airport Authorities

Airport officials in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York have refused to show the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the political statements could breach federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act of 1939, which forbids federal employees from participating in partisan actions.

“Democratic legislators refuse to fund the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our functions are affected, and most of our TSA staff are not receiving wages,” Noem said in the video.

The Port of Portland Response

The Portland airport authority noted that it “did not consent to displaying the PSA in its present version, as we believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for partisan messaging.” The port further stated that Oregon law prohibits government staff from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that agreeing to play this video would violate Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Position

The Harry Reid International Airport also declined to show the TSA video on comparable reasons, saying in a statement that “the video's message contained partisan statements that did not align with the neutral, educational nature of the public service announcements usually displayed at security checkpoints” and also cited the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a federal law that prohibits political activities by government employees to ensure that public services stay impartial.

Additional Authority Rejections

• Phoenix airport airport explained that it “declined to display the video” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Sea-Tac airport, also refused, pointing to “the political nature of the video.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that state municipal law and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not permit the referenced video.” The authority also added that the TSA lacks ownership of any screens at its security areas and that its few display monitors are reserved for wayfinding, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Criticism

The county, in a statement, described the PSA “inappropriate, improper, and inconsistent with the values we anticipate from our federal leaders.”

“The public service announcement politicizes the impacts of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county executive said, adding that the message was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “erodes public trust.”

DHS Response

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

Bipartisan Calls for Solution

The Seattle authority commented that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to resolve the government shutdown” and was working to find methods to support government workers unpaid during the closure.