American Air Hubs Reject Kristi Noem PSA Blaming Democrats for Federal Closure

A number of major international air travel hubs across the United States, such as Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have decided to block a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the current federal government shutdown from playing at their security checkpoints.

Regulatory Concerns Cited by Aviation Officials

Airport officials in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester County have declined to show the footage at screening areas, stating that the clearly partisan content could breach federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which bars federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity.

“Democratic legislators refuse to support funding for the federal government, and as a result, many of our functions are impacted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration employees are unpaid,” the Secretary remarked in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority explained that it “would not agree to airing the PSA in its current form, as we maintain the federal law clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes.” It added that Oregon law bars government staff from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that consenting to broadcast this content would break Oregon law.

Las Vegas Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also refused to show the security announcement on similar grounds, saying in a release that “the video's message included partisan statements that was inconsistent with the impartial, educational nature of the public service announcements usually displayed at checkpoint screens” and also cited the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a federal law that prohibits partisan actions by federal employees to ensure that public services remain impartial.

Further Authority Responses

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

Westchester County Objection

The county, in a public comment, called the video “unacceptable, improper, and inconsistent with the standards we expect from our nation’s top public officials.”

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

Homeland Security Reply

A Department of Homeland Security official, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated Noem’s language to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a response, stating that “Democratic leaders will soon recognize the importance of reopening the government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Resolution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to end the federal closure” and was striving to find ways to support government workers unpaid during the closure.