American Air Hubs Reject Kristi Noem Video Faulting Democratic Party for Federal Closure

A number of key international air travel hubs across the United States, such as Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have decided to restrict a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democrats for the continuing government closure from airing at their checkpoint areas.

Regulatory Concerns Cited by Aviation Officials

Airport officials in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have declined to broadcast the footage at screening areas, stating that the overtly political messaging could violate federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act, which forbids federal employees from engaging in partisan actions.

“Congressional Democrats decline to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our activities are affected, and most of our Transportation Security Administration workers are working without pay,” Noem said in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland noted that it “would not agree to displaying the PSA in its present version, as we consider the Hatch Act explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for political purposes.” It added that Oregon law prohibits public employees from promoting or opposing any party affiliation and that consenting to broadcast this content would break state law.

Las Vegas Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also refused to show the TSA video on comparable reasons, noting in a release that “its content contained partisan statements that was inconsistent with the neutral, educational purpose of the public service announcements typically displayed at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that bans partisan actions by federal employees to ensure that public services stay impartial.

Additional Authority Rejections

• Phoenix airport airport stated that it “refused to display the PSA” to remain “consistent with airport guidelines,” which prohibits political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which operates Sea-Tac airport, also refused, citing “the political nature of the video.”
• Charlotte airport said that North Carolina local regulations and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not allow the referenced video.” The airport also added that the TSA lacks ownership of any monitors at its checkpoints and that its few digital screens are designated for directions, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Criticism

Westchester County, in a public comment, called the PSA “unacceptable, improper, and inconsistent with the values we expect from our federal leaders.”

“The PSA makes political the impacts of a government closure on TSA operations,” the county executive said, noting that the message was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “undermines customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Reply

A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, an agency representative, echoed the Secretary's language to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a response, stating that “Democrats will shortly realize the significance of reopening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Resolution

The Port of Seattle said 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.