American Air Hubs Reject Kristi Noem Video Faulting Democratic Party for Government Shutdown

A number of prominent global air travel hubs across the United States, among them Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have chosen to restrict a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing federal government shutdown from airing at their security checkpoints.

Legal Concerns Cited by Airport Authorities

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester County have declined to broadcast the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the political statements could violate federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act, which prohibits government workers from participating in partisan actions.

“Democrats in Congress decline to support funding for the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our activities are disrupted, and most of our TSA staff are unpaid,” Noem remarked in the video.

Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland noted that it “would not agree to playing the PSA in its current form, as we believe the Hatch Act explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for political purposes.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon prohibits government staff from promoting or opposing any political party and that consenting to play this content would violate Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Statement

The Harry Reid International Airport also declined to display the security announcement on comparable reasons, stating in a release that “the video's message included political messaging that was inconsistent with the impartial, educational purpose of the PSAs typically shown at security checkpoints” and also cited the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act is a U.S. law that bans political activities by government employees to ensure that government programs remain non-partisan.

Additional Airport Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor airport explained that it “refused to display the video” to stay “consistent with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Sea-Tac airport, also refused, citing “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that North Carolina municipal law and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not allow the video in question.” The airport also added that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any monitors at its security areas and that its few digital screens are designated for directions, flight updates, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Objection

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

“The PSA politicizes the impacts of a government closure on TSA operations,” the county executive stated, noting that the message was “overly alarming” and “erodes customer confidence.”

DHS Response

A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated Noem’s wording to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a response, adding that “Democrats will soon recognize the importance of reopening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Resolution

The Port of Seattle commented that it continued to “urge bipartisan efforts to end the government shutdown” and was striving to identify ways to assist government workers working without pay during the shutdown.