Several airports have reportedly refused to display a video in which Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blames Democrats for the Schumer shutdown and any travel-related delays that occur as a result.
“It is TSA's top priority to make sure that you have the most pleasant and efficient airport experience as possible while we keep you safe,” Noem said in the video. “However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay. We will continue to do all that we can to avoid delays that will impact your travel. Our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government.”
🚨 NOW: This DEVASTATING video is playing at every public airport nationwide after Democrats shuttered the government
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 10, 2025
DHS Sec. Kristi Noem: "Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA… pic.twitter.com/YASYFzZsKs
The Washington Post reported that airport officials have declined to show the video because it might violate the Hatch Act.
Officials that oversee airports serving Buffalo, Charlotte, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Seattle and Portland, Oregon, said the video could violate internal policies that bar political messaging or contravene state or federal laws that prohibit the use of public resources for political activity.
“We believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes and messaging,” said Molly Prescott, a spokesperson for the Port of Portland, which operates Portland International Airport. Enacted in 1939, the Hatch Act bars federal employees from engaging in politics while on the job and is meant to ensure that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion.
Oregon law also precludes public employees from promoting or opposing political parties during working hours, Prescott said, noting: “This is the first time to our knowledge that the Port has declined to play a video.”
Westchester County, a community just north of New York City, also declined to show the video; County Executive Ken Jenkins called it “inconsistent with the values we expect from our nation’s top public officials” and “unnecessarily alarmist” in a statement on Friday.
Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told The Washington Post that the shutdown has created “challenges” for its workers, but that “our security operations remain largely unimpacted at this time.”
The Hatch Act was passed in 1939. It prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activities to ensure nonpartisanship. Under the legislation, federal employees cannot engage in activities that could influence elections.
Unions representing federal workers have asked a judge for an injunction preventing the Trump administration from carrying out mass layoffs during the congressional stalemate.