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A number of major international airports across the United States, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have opted to prevent a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democrats for the ongoing government closure from airing at their security checkpoints.

Legal Issues Raised by Airport Authorities

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, 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, including the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from engaging in partisan actions.

“Democrats in Congress decline to support funding for the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are affected, and most of our Transportation Security Administration employees are unpaid,” the Secretary said in the video.

The Port of Portland Response

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

Las Vegas Position

The Harry Reid International Airport also refused to display the TSA video on comparable reasons, stating in a release that “the video's message contained partisan statements that did not align with the neutral, informational purpose of the PSAs typically shown at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act is a U.S. law that bans political activities by government employees to guarantee that government programs remain unbiased.

Additional Authority Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor airport stated that it “refused to post the video” to remain “consistent with airport guidelines,” which prohibits political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Sea-Tac airport, also declined, pointing to “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte airport clarified that North Carolina municipal law and the airport's rules for screen content “do not permit the video in question.” The authority also noted that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any screens at its checkpoints and that its few display monitors are designated for directions, flight updates, and paid advertisements.

Westchester Criticism

Westchester County, in a statement, described the video “inappropriate, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the standards we expect from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The public service announcement makes political the impacts of a government closure on security operations,” the county leader said, adding that the tone was “overly alarming” and “erodes customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Response

A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated the Secretary's language to blame “partisan tactics” in a response, stating that “Democrats will shortly recognize the significance of reopening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Resolution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “encourage cooperative actions to end the federal closure” and was striving to identify ways to assist federal employees unpaid during the closure.