U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, accompanied by Deputy Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration HA McNeil and Adam Stahl, the senior TSA official performing the duties of the Administrator, speak during a news conference at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on July 8, 2025.
Kent Nishimura | getty images
Major U.S. airports From New York to Florida to Nevada are refusing to show a video Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Blaming Democrats in Congress for the ongoing federal government shutdown,
Some of those airports cited the political nature of Noem’s message for not showing the video, saying it was a violation of their policies.
Transportation Security Administration Requests were sent to airports across the country to broadcast videos on screens near passenger screening lines.
“It is TSA’s top priority to ensure we have the most pleasant and efficient airport experience possible while keeping you safe,” Noem says in the video. msnbc,
“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,” says Noem, whose department oversees TSA.
Noem’s message is in line with comments from President Donald Trump and other top administration officials, who have blamed congressional Democrats for not joining Republicans in passing a stopgap funding bill to resume normal government operations since the shutdown began on Oct. 1.
Democrats dropped their demand that any funding deal include an extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of this year. Republicans, in turn, refuse to include that provision.
Air traffic controllers resume operations a day after the Hollywood Burbank Airport control tower operated for hours without a staff due to a staffing shortage in Burbank, California, US, on October 7, 2025.
Daniel Cole reuters
Airports that declined to show Noem’s video included three major airports in the New York City area: John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport in Queens, and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
A spokesperson said, “The Port Authority’s long-standing policies prevent the broadcast of politically partisan messages at our facilities, so the airport is not broadcasting video on airport-controlled screens.” Port Authority of New York and New JerseyWhich operates those three airports.
The Chicago Department of Aviation, which operates O’Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport, also rejected DHS’s request.
“Advertising at Chicago’s airports, including promotional materials and public service announcements, must follow CDA’s advertising guidelines, which prohibit content that supports or opposes any named political party,” the department said in an email. “These guidelines help ensure that airports remain welcoming and neutral spaces for all travelers.”
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Portland International Airport in Oregon also declined to show the video.
“Portland Airport did not consent to running the video in its current form because we believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits the use of public properties for political purposes and messaging,” Molly Prescott, aviation communications manager for Portland, which operates the airport, told CNBC by email.
The Hatch Act prohibits certain political activities by federal government employees and is intended to protect federal employees from political pressure on the job.
“Additionally, Oregon law states that no public employee may promote or oppose any political committee, party or affiliation,” Prescott said. “We believe that consenting to the playing of this video on port assets would be a violation of Oregon law.”
A spokesperson for Miami International Airport said it was not playing the new Noem video, but rather an older video informing travelers about Real ID, “to be consistent with Miami-Dade County policy regarding messaging within the airport”. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is not showing the video “because our advertising policy does not permit the display of political messages at our facility,” a spokesperson told CNBC.
A spokesperson for Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that showing the video would violate local laws and airport policies.
“Additionally, TSA does not have any monitors at airport checkpoints,” a Charlotte airport spokesperson said. “The limited digital screens owned by CLT are designated for static content that supports way finding, provides essential travel information and promotes CLT’s revenue-generating services.”
Spokespeople for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas said those facilities declined to post the video due to policies prohibiting political content.
A Las Vegas airport spokesperson said that “As a facility that hosts federal operations, we remain mindful of the Hatch Act’s restrictions on political activity in government workplaces.”
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport has reportedly refused to show Noem’s video.
CNBC contacted various airports across the US and asked for comment on whether they were airing the video.
A representative for Detroit Metro Airport said Noem’s video was being shown on monitors in TSA-leased areas.
A spokesperson for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport said that TSA checkpoints at the airport are not equipped with video monitors, so they are unable to show any video or digital content.
In a statement to CNBC, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin reiterated comments made by Noem on the video.
“While this creates challenges for our people, our security operations are largely unaffected at this time,” McLaughlin said. “It is unfortunate that our workforce has been put in this position due to political gamesmanship,” he said.
“Our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government.”
Lack of air traffic controllers causing flight delays and disruptions during government shutdown, CNBC informed Last week.
airlines on friday told Travelers should prepare for delays over the Columbus Day holiday weekend due to staffing shortages.
Last week, an air traffic controller shortage caused delays at airports including Burbank, California and Nashville, Tennessee.
Air travel was disrupted during the more than month-long government shutdown that ended in January 2019, hours after flights in the New York area were disrupted due to a shortage of air traffic controllers.
Earlier, there were some airport security checkpoints Closed Due to increasing sick calls from Transportation Security Administration screeners, who are also working without pay.
Air traffic controllers received their first partial pay check on Tuesday. If the shutdown continues, they will not receive full salaries on October 28.
controllers distributed pamphlets On Tuesday, airports in New York, Washington, D.C. and Chicago urged the public to pressure lawmakers to end the shutdown.
