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A number of prominent global airports across the United States, among them Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have decided to restrict a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the ongoing federal government shutdown from playing at their checkpoint areas.

Regulatory Issues Cited by Airport Authorities

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

“Congressional Democrats refuse to support funding for the federal government, and because of this, many of our activities are affected, and most of our Transportation Security Administration employees are not receiving wages,” the Secretary remarked in the video.

The Port of Portland Response

The Port of Portland explained that it “would not agree to airing the video in its present version, as we maintain the Hatch Act explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for political purposes.” The port further stated that Oregon law prohibits public employees from supporting or criticizing any political party and that consenting to broadcast this content would break Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Statement

The Harry Reid International Airport also declined to show the security announcement on comparable reasons, noting in a statement that “its content contained political messaging that did not align with the neutral, educational nature of the PSAs usually shown at security checkpoints” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that prohibits political activities by government employees to guarantee that public services remain unbiased.

Further Authority Responses

• Phoenix airport airport stated that it “refused to display the video” to stay “in line with airport guidelines,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly refused, citing “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte airport clarified that North Carolina local regulations and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not permit the referenced video.” The airport also added that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any monitors at its checkpoints and that its limited display monitors are designated for directions, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester Objection

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

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

DHS Response

A Department of Homeland Security official, an agency representative, echoed Noem’s language to blame “partisan tactics” in a response, stating that “Democratic leaders will shortly realize the significance of opening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Resolution

The Seattle authority commented that it continued to “urge cooperative actions to end the federal closure” and was striving to find methods to assist government workers working without pay during the closure.