US Air Hubs Refuse Kristi Noem PSA Blaming Democratic Party for Government Shutdown

Several prominent international air travel hubs across the United States, including Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have opted to restrict a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing government closure from playing at their screening locations.

Legal Issues Raised by Aviation Officials

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York have refused to display the video content at screening areas, stating that the overtly political messaging could violate federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity.

“Congressional Democrats refuse to finance the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our operations are disrupted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration workers are not receiving wages,” Noem said in the video.

Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland clarified that it “did not consent to displaying the PSA in its present version, as we consider the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political aims.” It added that Oregon law bars public employees from promoting or opposing any political party and that consenting to broadcast this video would violate Oregon law.

Las Vegas Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also refused to show the TSA video on comparable reasons, saying in a statement that “the video's message contained political messaging that was inconsistent with the neutral, informational purpose of the public service announcements typically displayed at security checkpoints” and also referenced the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a federal law that bans political activities by federal employees to ensure that public services remain impartial.

Additional Authority Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport explained that it “declined to post the PSA” to stay “in line with airport policy,” which does not allow political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Sea-Tac airport, similarly declined, citing “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that state municipal law and the airport's rules for digital content “do not allow the referenced video.” The authority also noted that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any monitors at its checkpoints and that its limited digital screens are designated for directions, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester Criticism

Westchester County, in a statement, described the PSA “inappropriate, improper, and out of line with the values we anticipate from our federal leaders.”

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

DHS Reply

A DHS assistant secretary, an agency representative, echoed the Secretary's wording to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a statement, stating that “Democrats will shortly realize the significance of reopening the federal government.”

Cross-Party Appeals for Solution

The Seattle authority commented that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to resolve the federal closure” and was working to find methods to assist government workers unpaid during the closure.