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Several major international air travel hubs across the United States, among them Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have opted to block a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the current government closure from playing at their security checkpoints.

Legal Issues Raised by Airport Authorities

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have declined to display the footage at screening areas, stating that the overtly political messaging could violate federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from participating in political campaigning.

“Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our functions are disrupted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration employees are unpaid,” the Secretary said in the video.

Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority clarified that it “did not consent to playing the PSA in its present version, as we believe the federal law clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon bars government staff from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that agreeing to broadcast this video would violate Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also declined to show the security announcement on comparable reasons, saying in a statement that “the video's message included partisan statements that did not align with the neutral, educational purpose of the PSAs usually shown at security checkpoints” and also cited the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a federal law that prohibits partisan actions by government employees to guarantee that government programs remain impartial.

Further Authority Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor airport stated that it “refused to post the video” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Port of Seattle, which manages Sea-Tac airport, also refused, pointing to “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that state local regulations and the airport's rules for screen content “do not permit the referenced video.” The authority also noted that the TSA does not own any screens at its checkpoints and that its limited display monitors are reserved for wayfinding, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester Criticism

The county, in a statement, described the PSA “unacceptable, improper, and out of line with the standards we anticipate from our federal leaders.”

“The PSA politicizes the effects of a federal government shutdown on security operations,” the county leader stated, adding that the message was “overly alarming” and “undermines public trust.”

Homeland Security Response

A DHS assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, echoed Noem’s language to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a statement, adding that “Democrats will shortly realize the importance of reopening the government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Resolution

The Port of Seattle commented that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to end the government shutdown” and was working to find methods to assist government workers unpaid during the shutdown.