American Air Hubs Refuse Kristi Noem Video Faulting Democratic Party for Federal Closure

A number of key global air travel hubs across the United States, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have opted to block a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the current federal government shutdown from playing at their checkpoint areas.

Regulatory Issues Raised by Aviation Authorities

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester County have refused to show the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the clearly partisan content could breach state and federal law, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan actions.

“Democratic legislators refuse to support funding for the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our activities are affected, and most of our TSA employees are not receiving wages,” the Secretary remarked in the video.

The Port of Portland Response

The Port of Portland noted that it “would not agree to displaying the PSA in its current form, as we maintain the Hatch Act clearly prohibits utilization of government resources for partisan messaging.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon prohibits public employees from promoting or opposing any political party and that agreeing to broadcast this video would break state law.

Harry Reid International Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also declined to show the TSA video on comparable reasons, saying in a statement that “its content contained partisan statements that was inconsistent with the neutral, informational purpose of the PSAs typically shown at security checkpoints” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a federal law that forbids partisan actions by government employees to guarantee that public services remain non-partisan.

Additional Airport Responses

• Phoenix airport international airport explained that it “refused to post the PSA” to remain “in line with airport policy,” which prohibits political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which manages Sea-Tac airport, similarly declined, pointing to “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that North Carolina municipal law and the airport's rules for digital content “do not allow the referenced video.” The airport also noted that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any monitors at its checkpoints and that its limited display monitors are reserved for wayfinding, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester Criticism

The county, in a statement, called the PSA “unacceptable, improper, and out of line with the standards we expect from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The PSA makes political the effects of a federal government shutdown on security operations,” the county leader said, noting that the message was “overly alarming” and “erodes public trust.”

DHS Reply

A Department of Homeland Security official, an agency representative, echoed the Secretary's language to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a response, stating that “Democrats will soon realize the significance of opening the federal government.”

Cross-Party Appeals for Solution

The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “urge bipartisan efforts to end the federal closure” and was working to find ways to support federal employees working without pay during the closure.