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Several key international air travel hubs across the United States, including Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have chosen to block a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democrats for the ongoing federal government shutdown from being shown at their security checkpoints.

Regulatory Concerns Cited by Aviation Authorities

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have refused to broadcast the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the clearly partisan content could breach federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act of 1939, which forbids federal employees from participating in partisan actions.

“Congressional Democrats decline to finance the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our activities are impacted, and most of our TSA workers are working without pay,” Noem stated in the video.

The Port of Portland Response

The Port of Portland explained that it “did not consent to airing the PSA in its current form, as we believe the Hatch Act explicitly forbids use of public assets for political purposes.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon bars public employees from promoting or opposing any political party and that agreeing to broadcast this content would break state law.

Las Vegas Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also declined to show the security announcement on similar grounds, stating in a statement that “the video's message contained political messaging that was inconsistent with the neutral, educational nature of the public service announcements typically displayed at checkpoint screens” and also cited the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a federal law that prohibits political activities by federal employees to guarantee that public services stay impartial.

Additional Airport Rejections

• Phoenix airport airport explained that it “refused to post the video” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which does not allow political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also declined, pointing to “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that North Carolina municipal law and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not allow the referenced video.” The authority also added that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any monitors at its checkpoints and that its limited digital screens are designated for wayfinding, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester Criticism

Westchester County, in a public comment, called the PSA “unacceptable, improper, and out of line with the standards we expect from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The PSA makes political the effects of a government closure on TSA operations,” the county leader stated, adding that the message was “overly alarming” and “undermines customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Response

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

Bipartisan Appeals for Solution

The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “encourage cooperative actions to end the government shutdown” and was working to find methods to assist federal employees working without pay during the shutdown.