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Several key global airports across the United States, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have chosen to restrict a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democrats for the current federal government shutdown from being shown at their security checkpoints.

Legal Concerns Cited by Airport Authorities

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have refused to show the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the overtly political messaging could breach federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act, which bars government workers from participating in partisan actions.

“Congressional Democrats decline to finance the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our activities are impacted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration workers are working without pay,” Noem remarked in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland clarified that it “did not consent to displaying the PSA in its present version, as we believe 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 break Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also declined to display the TSA video on similar grounds, noting in a release that “the video's message included political messaging that was inconsistent with the neutral, educational purpose of the public service announcements usually shown at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations

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

Additional Authority Responses

• Phoenix airport international airport stated that it “refused to display the PSA” to stay “in line with airport guidelines,” which prohibits political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Sea-Tac airport, similarly declined, citing “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that state local regulations and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not allow the referenced video.” The airport also added that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any monitors at its checkpoints and that its few display monitors are reserved for wayfinding, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Criticism

The county, in a public comment, described the video “unacceptable, unacceptable, and out of line with the values we anticipate from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The public service announcement politicizes the effects of a federal government shutdown on security operations,” the county executive said, noting that the message was “overly alarming” and “undermines customer confidence.”

DHS Reply

A Department of Homeland Security official, an agency representative, repeated the Secretary's wording to blame “political gamesmanship” in a statement, stating that “Democrats will soon recognize the significance of opening the government.”

Cross-Party Calls for Resolution

The Port of Seattle commented that it continued to “encourage cooperative actions to end the federal closure” and was striving to identify methods to assist government workers working without pay during the closure.