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A number of prominent international airports across the US, such as Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have opted to block a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the current government closure from airing at their security checkpoints.

Legal Concerns Raised by Airport Authorities

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York have declined to broadcast the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the political statements could violate state and federal law, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which forbids federal employees from participating in partisan political activity.

“Democratic legislators decline to finance the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our operations are disrupted, and most of our TSA workers are unpaid,” Noem stated in the announcement.

Portland Response

The Port of Portland clarified that it “did not consent to displaying the PSA in its present version, as we maintain the Hatch Act clearly prohibits utilization of government resources for political purposes.” The port further stated that Oregon law prohibits public employees from promoting or opposing any political party and that consenting to broadcast this content would break state law.

Harry Reid International Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also refused to display the TSA video on similar grounds, stating in a statement that “the video's message included partisan statements that did not align with the neutral, educational nature of the PSAs usually displayed at security checkpoints” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a federal law that bans political activities by government employees to ensure that public services remain unbiased.

Further Authority Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor airport stated that it “declined to display the PSA” to stay “in line with airport policy,” which does not allow partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also declined, pointing to “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte airport said that North Carolina municipal law and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not allow the video in question.” The airport also added that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any screens at its security areas and that its limited display monitors are designated for wayfinding, flight updates, and paid advertisements.

Westchester Objection

Westchester County, in a statement, called the video “inappropriate, improper, and inconsistent with the values we anticipate from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The PSA politicizes the impacts of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county leader stated, noting that the message was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “erodes public trust.”

DHS Response

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

Cross-Party Appeals for Resolution

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